Cloudtuft's Clan: A New Leaf
by CloudtuftofStarClan
Summary: There were always four clans in the forest. One of the clans, StoneClan, was broken up. The remaining cats left to join the other clans or become rogues. Cloud is the last rogue left with StoneClan blood, and the only cat who can bring StoneClan back to the forest. As Cloud assembles his clan, he realizes that the world has more dangers than he had thought.
1. Prologue - The Dream

Cloud climbed up the tree and into his nest. When he first arrived in the forest by the Housefolk area, he took a liking to the trees. Even though other cats thought he was weird, Cloud felt safe up in the trees. The white tom looked up at the stars before falling asleep in his cozy nest.

He was dreaming about catching a mouse. Suddenly, a black tom with white socks appeared. The mouse that Cloud had been chasing ran into a small hole in the ground. "You made me lose the mouse!" Cloud snapped at the stranger. The black tom didn't move. "Are you gonna say something or what?" Cloud growled.

"My name is Shadowfur." The tom replied. "I am a StarClan cat." "A StarClan cat? What does that mean?" Cloud asked. "There is a forest, far from here. In this forest, four clans of cats live. When they die, they join their warrior ancestors in StarClan." Shadowfur began.

"So I'm being lectured by a dead cat?" Cloud meowed. Shadowfur nodded. Shadowfur began to walk away. "Come back!" Cloud yelled, running after the mysterious cat. He jumped through bushes to catch up. "Ouch!" He yowled when a branch hit him hard on the head.

"Shadowfur! Where are you?" Cloud called out. He stopped running and looked around. Cloud took a deep breath. He was in an unfamiliar forest. There were lots of trees and there was a mountain close by. "This way!" Cloud heard Shadowfur call. He followed his voice and found the black tom in a little valley. "This is Star Valley. The four clans meet here every full moon for Gatherings. On those nights, there is a peace between the clans." Shadowfur meowed as Cloud walked up to him. "So why am I here?" Cloud asked.

"I told you before about the four clans who live here, right?" Shadowfur replied. Cloud nodded. "Well, one of the clans, StoneClan, was destroyed." Shadowfur meowed. "Destroyed?" Cloud exclaimed. "How?" Shadowfur sighed. "Over time the clan lost many of its warriors. Eventually the clan was too small to keep going and the remaining cats joined the other three clans or left to become rogues. StoneClan was gone." Shadowfur said.

"So what does this have to do with me?" Cloud asked. "You are destined to bring the clan back to the forest, Cloud." Shadowfur replied. "Why me?" Cloud exclaimed. "Your mother was just a kit when StoneClan separated. She and her mother went to live as rogues. They were two of the four cats who left to live as rogues. You are the only rogue left with StoneClan blood." Shadowfur explained. "What about those cats who joined the other clans? Why can't they fix StoneClan?" Cloudtuft questioned. Shadowfur sighed. "Only two of the six StoneClan cats are still alive. The two remaining cats very old and would be unable to do it." He said.

"You are the only cat strong enough to reform StoneClan." Cloud sat in silence for a minute. Was he really going to leave his life behind so he could help save cats he never knew? "Cloud, the choice is yours." Shadowfur meowed. Cloud looked at Shadowfur. He sighed. "How can I help? I don't know where to start or how to get here." Cloud said. "Do you see that mountain?" Shadowfur pointed to the mountain Cloud saw before. The white tom nodded. "You can see the top of the mountain from the trees of your forest. If you head towards the mountain, you'll find your way to the territory." Shadowfur meowed. "How will I find members to join me?" Cloud asked. "You know there are other cats who live by you. You can start there." The black tom told him. "It is time for me to go." "You can't leave now!" Cloud insisted, but it was too late. Shadowfur was gone and Cloud had already awoken. The sun was already rising. "Well, I guess I better get started."

 **I hope you guys are excited for this story. Sorry for not posting anything in a week. I've been busy with break. I will be posting a new chapter for Prophecy of War tomorrow! Shade's Exile is still being written. If you have any suggestions, tips, or questions, don't be afraid to tell me! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1 - Rogues

Cloud yawned and stretched his back. The sun was slowly rising over the horizon when Cloud woke up. He climbed down his tree. It had been a few days since his dream with Shadowfur. Cloud had thought over what he was going to do. _I'll say my goodbyes to my friends and see if any cats would like to tag along with me. After that, we'll head for the forest._

Cloud was walking towards the Housefolk place when his stomach growled. _I'd better catch some food._ The white tom crouched close to the ground and waited until he heard a noise from behind him. He turned around quickly and jumped onto a squirrel. Cloud killed it with a swift bite.

"Nice catch!" Cloud turned to see his close friend, Gorse, walk up to him. "Gorse! It's good to see you." Cloud greeted warmly. The two had been good friends for a very long time that Cloud considered Gorse as his brother. The russet tom sat down next to Cloud and the two friends shared the squirrel.

"I was going to find you, but I got hungry." Cloud said. Gorse laughed. "So what's up?" Gorse asked. "I, uh, I'm going to be leaving soon. Tomorrow, actually." Cloud told him. "What? You're leaving? What for?" Gorse asked, shocked at what his friend was saying. "I'm going to live in a different forest. Just over that mountain." Cloud pointed to the massive mountain. "That's insane! Why are you leaving?" Gorse demanded.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but I know that you will think I'm crazy." Cloud sighed. He started to tell Gorse all about his dream with Shadowfur and how he was destined to save StoneClan. "I don't know what to say." Gorse admitted when Cloud had finished. "It sounds crazy, I know, but I've made my mind up. I will be heading there tomorrow." Cloud replied. Gorse hesitated to reply. "I have no kin left here. You're the only cat I consider as a brother, Cloud. If you left, I'd be alone, and so would you. If you'll accept me, I will join you on your quest." Gorse said at last. "Of course I accept your offer!" Cloud exclaimed.

"So, what's our plan?" Gorse asked. "Well, I was going to say goodbye to some friends. Maybe they'll join us. Tomorrow is when we start the journey." Cloud meowed. Gorse nodded. "I'll come with you to say goodbye."

Cloud and Gorse were walking through the streets of the Housefolk place. "Hey, Cloud!" Cloud turned to see his friend, Feather, jog up to them. The silver tabby was much younger and smaller than the toms. "Hello, Feather. Or, I guess this is goodbye." Cloud meowed.

"Huh?"

"Gorse and I are leaving. We're heading to another forest, just on the other side of that mountain. It's my destiny to form a clan of cats there." Cloud explained quickly. "It's just you two going? Don't you need more cats?" Feather asked curiously. Gorse nodded. "We're looking for members."

"Can I join, Cloud? Oh please! I promise I'll do everything you tell me to!" Feather exclaimed. Cloud and Gorse shared worried glances. "Feather, it's dangerous. When we get there, there will be cats who won't be very nice." Cloud began. "I can do it, Cloud! I promise I'll be good!" Feather insisted. "We do need more cats." Gorse whispered. Cloud stared at the young tabby. Cloud had known Feather since she was a little kit. She was only a few moons old. He didn't want to put her in danger, but he didn't want to leave her behind either. _If she's willing to listen to me, then I guess it would be alright for her to join us. Besides, Gorse and I can protect her._

"Alright, you can come. But you will listen to me." Cloud sighed. "Yes!" Feather cheered, making Cloud smile. "Come on, we're saying goodbye to friends." Gorse told Feather. The silver tabby nodded and followed closely behind the two toms.

The sun was setting. They had said goodbye to almost everyone. None of the other cats were going to join them.

"You're insane. You'll never make it that far."

"How can you be sure there's a forest over there?"

"Good luck. You're going to need it."

Cloud didn't let their comments and insults get to him. He had made up his mind and he was going to do it. Cloud had two of his closest friends with him, so he was satisfied. He was a bit sad that he hadn't seen his friend, Leaf, anywhere. She preferred to stay away from other cats and didn't have a lot of friends. When Cloud first met her, she didn't want anything to do with him. Over time, Leaf warmed up to him and they had been good pals ever since. It hurt Cloud thinking that he might not find her before they left. _She does like hunting at night. Maybe I'll see her before I go to bed._

"Alright, we'll meet up by the abandoned shed at sunrise." Cloud said to Gorse and Feather. Saying goodbye, Cloud slowly walked back to his tree. He was exhausted. Just as he was about to climb up, he heard a cat walk out from behind. "Leaf! There you are! I was looking for you!" Cloud exclaimed. Leaf purred. "I was looking for you too." She told him.

"I heard rumors that you, Gorse, and Feather were leaving tomorrow." Leaf said. "Yeah, it's true. I was trying to find you to say goodbye, or see if you would like to join." Cloud told his friend. "First, tell me why you're all leaving." Leaf laughed. "It's my destiny to form a clan over in that forest. Gorse and Feather decided to join me." Cloud said quickly. "How is that your job?" Leaf asked. "My mother was part of one of the four clans. The clan she was in, StoneClan, was disbanded and she became a rogue. I'm the only cat left who can save the clan." Cloud explained.

"How do you know this?"

"Shadowfur told me."

"Who?"

"In a dream, a cat, Shadowfur, told me about my destiny to save StoneClan."

"So because you had a dream, you're leaving to start a cat cult?"

"It's not a cult, Leaf."

"That's totally a thing that you would do."

"Yeah, it is."

"I'm coming with you."

"Really?"

Leaf nodded. "Why?" The white tom asked. "Because I've known you for a while. It'd be pretty weird to not see your face every day." Leaf said playfully, making Cloud laugh. "Besides, you're going to need all the help you can get, and everyone knows I'm a fantastic hunter." Leaf added. "I'm glad that you're joining us. We're meeting by the abandoned shed at sunrise." Cloud told her. "I'll see you guys then." Leaf stood up. Cloud watched the she cat walk away. He climbed up his tree and got ready for bed. Cloud shut his eyes and soon fell asleep.

Cloud sat by the shed, waiting for his friends to arrive. The cold wind made him shiver. "Hey, Cloud. I'm here!" Feather called, racing up to him. "Good morning, Feather. Are you ready?" Cloud greeted. Feather nodded. "So how many cats will be there?" Feather asked. Cloud shrugged. He didn't know much about the forest or the cats who lived there. He knew just as much as she did.

"When we get there, we'll have to adapt to their way of life. It'll be really different from how we live now." Cloud said. "We'll find a way though." At that moment, Gorse joined the two cats. "Morning." He yawned. "Are we ready to go?" Feather asked Cloud. "Actually, I talked to Leaf last night. She said she was going to join us." Cloud told his friends. As if on cue, Leaf walked out from behind a bush. "I'm here!" She said happily. "Alright, everyone is here." Cloud meowed.

"We can hunt later. Is everyone ready?"

"I'm ready!"

"Same here."

"I am ready."

"Okay then. Let's get a move on." Cloud said. The four cats got up and began their journey.

 **Hope you guys enjoyed chapter one! I'm super excited for this book. If you have any tips, suggestions, or questions, don't be afraid to ask. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 2 - The River

"Cloud, can we hunt yet? I'm starving!" Feather asked. The cats had been walking for several hours. "Yeah, we've been walking non stop all day. I think we deserve a break." Leaf added. Cloud thought for a second. He wanted to get to the forest as soon as possible. But he knew they were right. Cloud was starving too, but he didn't want to show it. _I can't look weak in front of these guys. How good will I be as a leader of I can't be strong?_

"Alright. We can take a break." Cloud told the group. "Finally!" Feather said, immediately sitting down. "I'm going hunting." Leaf announced as she walked away. "Don't go too far!" Cloud called after her. But there was no reply. "I'll go hunt as well." Gorse said. "Maybe you should hunt with Feather. It's best if she doesn't go off alone." Gorse whispered to Cloud. The white tom nodded. He watched Gorse walk behind a bush.

"Feather, do you want to hunt together?" Cloud asked. "Sure!" Feather said cheerily. The silver tabby got up and followed Cloud. "Alright, can you show me how you hunt?" Cloud was curious about Feather's ways. If they were going to start a clan, they needed good hunters. If Feather had a good system going for her, they could use her ideas for the clan.

Cloud watched as the silver tabby walked over to a small stone foundation. She used her silver pelt to blend into the gray surface. Feather laid on the stone and waited until a brown mouse ran out. It stopped running and began to clean itself. The mouse had no idea Feather was close by. Cloud watched as Feather leapt down on the mouse and quickly killed it. She grabbed it in her mouth and skipped over to Cloud.

"That was great!" Cloud exclaimed, making Feather smile. "It was clever how you blended into the rocks like that. How did you come up with that?" "There were rocks like those in the part of the forest where I used to live. It was hard hunting out in the open, so I had to come up with something." Feather explained. Suddenly, sadness flowed into her blue eyes. "What if there aren't any areas like this in our new home?" She asked. Cloud felt bad for the little cat. He knew that Feather wanted to prove that to him and the others that she was a strong, young cat. If she couldn't hunt like she always did, Feather would feel useless to the group.

"Don't worry. I'm sure there are stones there. It is StoneClan territory after all." Cloud chuckled. Feather immediately perked up. "You can start eating. I'll catch something." Cloud told the silver tabby. Feather nodded and started to rip into her mouse.

Cloud walked into the center of the clearing and got low to the ground. He stayed as still as possible and listened carefully for a sound. The white tom shut his eyes to focus better. Cloud could faintly hear the movement of a small creature nearby. He raised his nose to figure out the scent. _Squirrel. Sounds like an older one too._ Cloud opened his eyes. Out of the corner of his bright, blue eyes he saw the bushy squirrel tail move. The squirrel wasn't too far from Cloud, but it would be a challenge. The wind was blowing C,oud's scent towards the mouse, so it could probably sense Cloud's presence.

Cloud waited for the perfect moment and he ran at the squirrel. The squirrel climbed up a nearby tree and Cloud climbed after it. The squirrel reached the top, but that was it. Cloud caught up to it and ended the squirrel's life.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Feather gasped. "You were so still and you just ran like lightning at it and climbed so fast after it!" Her eyes glimmered with excitement as Cloud padded up to her with the squirrel in his mouth. "Not too shabby, I agree. I wish I had gotten it before it climbed up though. We'll need a lot of energy if we're making the journey to the forest. And the wind didn't help me. The squirrel probably knew I was coming." Cloud said. He sat down next to Feather and began to rip into his squirrel.

Leaf and Gorse padded up to them. Gorse had a thrush in his mouth and Leaf carried a small rabbit. "How was it?" Cloud asked with a mouthful of squirrel in his mouth. "Pretty good. It was an easy hunting experience for me." Leaf said proudly. "Feather, if you want some of my rabbit, you can have some." "Thanks, Leaf!" Feather smiled. "The mouse didn't fill me up as much as I had hoped." "So when should we start walking again? I was thinking we should move out soon." Cloud began. All three of his friends moaned. "Really, Cloud? We just started our break!" Leaf pointed out. "We've walked a lot all day. And we should think of Feather, she's got smaller legs than all of us." Gorse told Cloud. "I would normally say that I can keep up, but I am pretty tired." Feather admitted. Cloud shuffled his paws. _I gotta start thinking of my team more, and not myself. But I want to get there soon._

"Alright, alright. We can stay longer, but after that we're going to keep walking, okay?"

"Fine with me."

"Great!"

"Thanks, Cloud!"

After their break, the cats were back on the road. Cloud led the group while Gorse brought up the rear. The area was full of trees and flowers. _I hope our new home will be just as beautiful as this place!_ The sun was still shining brightly when the group was stopped by a river. The water was moving quickly and could easily pull a cat under.

"Now what?" Leaf asked. "Maybe there's some stepping stones?" Gorse suggested. Cloud looked around. "There's some down there, but they're too far apart. We could easily miss a jump or slip off the rocks." Cloud said. "But there's a fallen tree log down that way. We could cross over on that." "Let's go!" Feather said, running upstream towards the log. "Wait up!" Gorse called. The three older cats jogged after her.

"Woah." Feather said staring at the fallen log. The old tree log wasn't very stable looking. "Do you think it's safe?" Feather asked Cloud nervously. "We shouldn't put too much weight on it. We don't want to snap it." Cloud said. He was unsure about crossing it, but it was their only choice. Cloud looked at Feather and saw that she didn't look very convinced. "Don't worry. The water isn't too fast or deep over here, so if anyone falls in we can grab them." Cloud meowed. "Just don't fall in. I'd hate to get my fur wet." Leaf added jokingly. "Who's going first?"

"I'll go first." Cloud said. He carefully stepped on the log. It creaked when he put his weight on it. Cloud carefully placed his paws, and his heart pounded with every step. He glanced back at his friends. Leaf and Gorse watched anxiously while Feather looked like she was going to jump out of her pelt. Cloud continued walking. He was already half way across. "You can do it, Cloud!" Leaf encouraged shakily.

Cloud took a deep breath. The wind picked up and Cloud started to lose his balance. His friends gasped as he wobbled, but calmed down after he regained his balance. "Phew." He said. The water wasn't deep, but it would be pretty embarrassing if he fell in. When Cloud finally reached the other side, Leaf stepped on. Her legs shook at first, but she kept her cool. "That's it, Leaf! Keep going!" Cloud cheered. She blinked her gratitude at him and kept walking. When she finally arrived, she licked Cloud's ear. "Thanks." She said.

"Do you want to go next, Feather?" Gorse meowed to the little tabby. "That's okay. You can go next, Gorse." Feather insisted nervously. Gorse didn't want to leave her on this side alone, but he climbed onto the log anyway. "Don't worry, it's not too bad." He told Feather before he started walking. The muscular tom walked gracefully across the log. He stumbled a little, but kept moving forward. "Nice job!" Leaf purred.

"Come on, Feather! You can do it!" Cloud called over to Feather. He watched as the silver tabby started to place her paw on the log, but pull it back. "I can't do it!" She cried. "I did it, Feather. You can do it too!" Gorse insisted. Feather looked back at the log, but started to run downstream. "Where is she going?" Leaf exclaimed. The three cats took off downstream.

"Feather? What are you doing?" Gorse called to her. She didn't reply. "Why is she going downstream? The water is worse down there!" Cloud asked the others. "I think I got it!" Leaf told them. "What is it?" Gorse meowed. "I think Feather wants to use the stepping stones!" Leaf replied.

Cloud's heart sank. There was no way Feather could make it across with the stones. Her body was small and would have a hard time jumping from stone to stone. The water was way faster and made the stones slippery. If she fell in, the group would struggle getting her out. They couldn't swim well and the current was fast.

"Feather, the log is safer!" Cloud shouted. "It felt like it was going to fall, Cloud!" Feather replied. _Oh please don't fall in!_ Cloud's heart pounded as he watched Feather step onto the first stone. It was close enough to step on, but every other stone Feather would have to leap to get to. "You can still turn around!" Gorse said. "He's right! Don't do it, Feather!" Cloud pleaded. "Are you listening, Feather?" Leaf shouted. Feather ignored them.

She had made two successful jumps so far. _There's five more stones left though._ Feather jumped onto the fourth stone and slipped a little. "Please be careful!" Cloud hollered. His heart skipped a few beats as she leapt onto another stone. This time, her back legs fell in and she had to pull herself onto the rock. _Oh be careful, Feather!_

"I don't know if she's going to make the next jump. It's farther than the last one." Gorse said. "Don't say that! We don't know!" Cloud insisted. "Cloud, he's right. She might not make the next jump." Leaf told him. Cloud knew they were right but he didn't want to believe it. He had faith in her. Feather prepared herself to make the jump. Cloud wanted to look away but he couldn't. Feather jumped off of the rock and for a second it looked like she had made it. Her front paws hit the stone but the rest of her body fell into the river. She couldn't hold on and was swept away by the current.

"Feather!" Cloud yelled. "She fell in!" Gorse panicked. Without any hesitation, Cloud ran downstream and looked for her head. "Cloud, wait up!" Leaf yelled, running after him. Cloud looked around and spotted her silver head above the water. She struggled to keep it above. "Help me!" She cried. Feather went under the water but her head bobbed back up. Cloud jumped in the river and tried to reach her.

"Cloud! What are you doing?" Leaf cried. "Be careful!" Gorse screamed. Cloud tried to get to Feather, but struggled to keep his head up. Some water entered his mouth and he had to spit it out. "I'm coming Feather!" He rasped. "Just keep your head up!" Cloud tried to swim to the nearest stone, but he missed it. He saw another stone up ahead. It was smaller, but there was a root sticking out of it. Cloud paddled as hard as he could to reach it. He grabbed the root with his mouth and pulled himself onto the rock.

Cloud spotted Feather close by. "Feather! Try and paddle towards me!" He shouted. Feather listened and moved her legs as hard as she could, but she was still to far to make it to the rock. Cloud ripped the root out and held it over the water with his mouth. "Grab on!" The root muffled his voice. Cloud stuck it out as far as he could so Feather could grab on. Feather bit into the end of the root. "I got it!" She shouted.

"Good! Hang on!" Cloud said. He pulled the root closer, but the root began to tear in the middle. With all of his strength, Cloud yanked on the root one last time and pulled Feather to safety. He grabbed her by the scruff. There was no room for both of them to stand on the rock. "Cloud! Are you and Feather okay?" Leaf yelled to him. "Don't panic! We'll figure something out!" Gorse promised.

"I can try to swim over to them. I'm not great but it might help them." Leaf suggested to Gorse. "No. We can't risk your life too." Gorse said. Leaf nodded. Cloud looked down at Feather. She was in shock and the cold water made her shiver. Cloud had used a lot of energy swimming and pulling Feather to safety. And after a long day of walking, he felt like he could fall over at any moment.

He looked around and saw another stone up ahead. It was closer to the shore and was their only hope. Cloud slowly stepped into the river and was immediately taken by the current. The additional weight and loss of energy didn't help Cloud. The river pulled him and Feather under again. Despite how hard Cloud tried to keep their heads above water, the weight kept him and Feather down.

Just as Cloud felt like both of them were going to die, he felt the weight lift off of him. Cloud was surprised to see a cat lift him and another cat lift Feather above the water. He breathed heavily as the two cats helped bring the cats to shore. Cloud and Feather collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. The white tom looked at Feather. The little tabby was still shivering, but she didn't look too hurt.

"I'm so glad to see that you guys are alright." Leaf said, relieved. "Who saved us?" Cloud rasped. "We don't actually know their names." Gorse admitted. Cloud looked to see two Maine Coons sitting nearby. The bigger cat was gray and the little one had red fur.

"My name is Grass and this is my brother, Quail." The gray cat meowed. "Hi." Quail purred. Quail was no older than Feather, and he was already a pretty good swimmer. _Impressive_. "Why did you help us?" Cloud asked curiously. "We heard shouting and we came running to investigate. When we saw you two out there, well, how could we not step in?" Grass replied. "Thank you, Grass. I don't think we would have made it without you two." Cloud meowed.

"Who are you guys? I've never seen you around before." Quail asked, staring at the cats with his beady, amber eyes. "I'm Cloud. This is Gorse, Leaf, and Feather." Cloud replied politely. "We're on our way to a forest. It's just over that mountain." "Why are you going?" Quail asked curiously. "Quail, I'm sure Cloud and Feather are very tired. They did just get tossed around by the current." Grass told her brother. "Sorry." Quail apologized.

"Perhaps we can take you back to our place for the night. It's safe and there's prey." Grass offered. "What do you guys think?" Cloud asked his friends. "It seems like a good idea. We need shelter tonight and you and Feather need the rest." Gorse told Cloud. "I agree. Gorse and I can hunt for you two when we get there." Leaf added. Cloud normally wouldn't accept Leaf's offer to hunt for him, but right now he was grateful for it. "Thank you." Cloud said. He turned back to Grass and Quail. "We accept your offer."

"Sweet!" Quail exclaimed. "I'll help Feather." The red Maine Coon padded over to Feather. She was still lying down, still shaken after the experience. "Thanks." She murmured as Quail helped her up. "I'll lead the way." Grass said. Cloud began to walk, but his back leg started to hurt, forcing him to limp and slow down. "Take it easy, take it easy. I've got you." Gorse told Cloud. Cloud leaned on his friend. Leaf walked on the other side of Cloud. "You'll feel better after some food and rest." Leaf told him. "I hope so." Cloud said quietly.

They finally arrived at Grass and Quail's den. They settled down in a small den surrounded by reeds and stones. It was close to the river and C,oud's could scent all kinds of prey nearby.

Gorse helped set Cloud down into a nest. "I'll be back with something for you to eat. Anything specific?" Leaf asked. Cloud shook his head. "Anything is fine, Leaf. And thank you." Cloud said. Leaf nodded her head and left to hunt with Gorse. "Can I go fishing, Grass?" Quail asked. "I can get something for Feather if she wants." He turned to Feather and added, "You like fish, right?" "I've never had fish before." Feather admitted. "It's great! I can catch you something if you'd like!" Quail exclaimed. "Sure." Feather said.

"After you two eat, you sould eat these poppy seeds." Grass meowed, pushing little black seeds towards both of them. "Poppy seeds?" Feather asked. Grass nodded. "They help calm cats down and also make cats sleepy." _I should remember that. It might come in handy in the future._ Cloud watched Grass and Quail walk over to the river to fish. Cloud laid down in his nest.

"Cloud?"

"Yes, Feather?"

"Are you mad at me?"

"Yes I am. You should have known better than that! When I allowed you to come on this journey, you promised me that you'd listen to me!"

"I'm sorry, Cloud! I was afraid, okay? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you in danger."

Cloud watched as Feather's eyes got watery. He sighed. "It's okay, Feather. Just, listen to me from now on, okay?" "I will!" Feather vowed. "Good." Cloud said. As he laid down again, Feather talked to him again.

"Cloud?"

"Yes, Feather?"

"Can I sleep next to you? I'm pretty scared and cold."

"Sure. Eat your poppy seeds first."

Feather slowly got up, licked up her seeds, and laid down next to the white tom. Within seconds, she was asleep. Cloud swallowed the seeds that Grass gave him and he fell asleep minutes later.

 **Second chapter is done! Yay! I am totally surprised I got this done today. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. Who's your favorite character so far? If you have any suggestions, tips, or questions, contact me! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 3 - Head in the Clouds

**Man I haven't updated in forever! Don't worry, I'm officially back! Also, if you send a review in, I will answer them here! :D**

 **Flameheart88 - Thanks for all of the reviews! Cloud does have a gray paw (I've never mentioned it lol) It's on his back paw. Cloud and Gorse are boys and Feather and Leaf are girls. (I love Feather too! She's so adorable! Glad you like her) And some cats may die on the journey, who knows? :)**

* * *

Cloud slowly opened his eyes. It was the morning after the river incident. His friends slept close by while the two Maine Coons slept on the other side of the den. Feather was still next to him.

The sun had just started to rise. Cloud wanted to get up and stretch his legs, but his body was so sore. He tried getting up, but his back legs hurt and he fell back down.

"Argh." The tom moaned. He tried to stay quiet so he wouldn't wake up the others. Cloud decided to shut his eyes and fall asleep again.

"I'm telling you, Gorse, I'm fine. We can start walking again." Cloud insisted. "You can barely stand up, Cloud. I know you want to get there, but you have to stop and think for a minute. The forest isn't going anywhere." Gorse meowed. "Besides, Feather isn't ready to move yet either."

"I'll carry her if I have to, Gorse. We should go soon." Cloud said. "I respect your enthusiasm, but we won't leave just yet. I talked to Grass and she said we can stay until you and Feather feel better." Gorse told him.

"I can walk, Gorse. I'll show you." Cloud meowed. He stood up, but his back legs were wobbly and his front paw ached. He started taking a few steps, but his front paw hurt when he put pressure on it.

"Cloud," Gorse began. "I'm fine, Gorse. See? I'm doing okay." Cloud interrupted. He took another step and fell.

"Cloud, I know you want to look strong for the others, but lying isn't a good trait for a leader. They'll understand that you're hurt. You jumped in a river to save Feather! They won't think you're weak." Gorse said. Cloud sighed. He knew Gorse was right, but Cloud was still frustrated with himself. Why couldn't he be a strong leader like the ones in the stories he heard from his mother when he was a kit?

The cats stayed for three more days. It was their fifth day staying with Grass and Quail, and they were going to be leaving soon. Feather was healed and Cloud's back legs weren't sore anymore. His front paw still hurt, but he wasn't going to let that stop him and the others. _Hopefully nobody notices my paw._

Cloud was busy sharing a rabbit with Leaf and Grass. "Quail seems to have gotten along pretty well with Feather." Leaf smiled. She was right. The two sat on the other side of the den, talking and sharing a fish.

"How can you like swimming? Doesn't it get annoying having to clean your fur all the time?" Cloud heard Feather ask. Quail shook his head. "My fur doesn't actually get bothered by the water. Besides, swimming can be lots of fun! Grass taught me how to swim. I can teach you, if you want!" Quail purred.

"I don't know. I think I've had my share of swimming already." Feather laughed. Cloud felt bad for the two. They would be leaving soon, and the two were going to be separated.

He was too busy thinking that he didn't hear Leaf's question. "Hey! Cloud! are you listening?" Leaf asked. "Hello?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Cloud said awkwardly. "So when are we going to get back on the road, hm? I thought you were dying to get going." Leaf teased playfully.

"You're right, I do want to go soon. Maybe tomorrow morning? I'll ask Gorse what he thinks later." Cloud replied. "Take your time. It's been nice having you four here." Grass purred.

"Thanks for having us. And for saving me and Feather from the river." Cloud meowed. "I'm going to go find Gorse. I'll be back soon." Leaf told her friends. She got up and walked off to find the tom.

"I didn't want to worry you guys before, but it's really been helpful for us to have you around. You see, there's this other rogue that lives nearby and he's not friendly. At all." Grass began. "He bosses us around and makes us catch food for him. If we don't, he starts a fight. I'm not good at fighting, so it's been horrible. I guess since you four were here, he didn't bother coming over."

"That's horrible. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?" Cloud offered. He felt terrible for her. She was forced to work to protect her and her brother. No cat should be treated like that, especially not two friendly cats like Grass and Quail.

"No, it's okay. I don't know where he is anyway." Grass replied. "You know, you and Quail could always join us. You'd be a great addition to the team and you'd be safe from the rogue." Cloud told her. Grass hesitated. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't think that's the best thing for Quail. He's really young and energetic."

Cloud wanted to say something to change her mind, but couldn't come up with the right words. "I understand. But if you ever change your mind, you're always welcomed with our group." Cloud said. "Thanks, Cloud." Grass smiled.

The sun was rising and the group was ready to set out. Cloud, Gorse, and Leaf were ready. Feather and Quail had gone by the river to fish. _She still doesn't know we're leaving. It might break her heart a little. Her and Quail are good friends now._

The group waited until they came back. Quail carried two fish in his mouth. "Look! I caught fish for us!" Quail announced proudly.

Cloud took a deep breath. "Feather, it's time to go." Cloud said at last. "Really?" Feather asked, her eyes wide with sadness. Cloud nodded slowly.

"Why do you have to go? Just stay here with us!" Quail exclaimed. "It's our destiny to go to the forest with Cloud. We have to go." Gorse stepped in.

Cloud was grateful that his friend was helping him with the situation. He hated having to separate the two. "Then why don't we join them?" Quail turned to Grass. "Quail, it's dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt." Grass replied.

"Our life is dangerous!" Quail spat. "Everyday you have to work for Tank everyday or else we get hurt! That's no life, Grass!" _Tank is probably the tom Grass was telling me about._

"Quail," Grass began.

"No, Grass! I'm going with them, whether you come or not is up to you." Quail interrupted. "Grass, I know this isn't a good time, but Quail's right. It's not safe here for you two." Cloud told them.

Grass sighed. "I know, but this is our home." Grass meowed. "We left ours so we could be apart of something better." Leaf pointed out. "See, Grass? It's a great idea!" Quail exclaimed. Grass looked down at her brother. Cloud could see worry in her eyes. "Grass, please. I don't want to leave you." Quail pleaded. Grass sighed. "If that's what you really want, I'll come with you."

"Thank you so much, Grass!" Quail exclaimed. "I can't wait! We'll be able to start over and it'll be great!" Quail cheered. "I'm so happy that you're coming!" Feather purred, running over to her red friend.

"Alright, we're moving out. Is everyone ready?" Cloud asked. Quail nodded. "I guess so." Grass replied. "Good. Then let's get a move on."

Cloud asked Gorse to take the lead. He didn't want to slow the group down with his paw. Cloud couldn't help but notice that Grass seemed very quiet.

"Hey, Grass, are you alright?" Cloud asked. Grass slowed down so she could walk next to him. She let out a small sigh and said, "I guess so." "I know you're upset about leaving your home. I was too." Cloud told her.

"I'm just worried. I don't want Quail to get hurt." Grass admitted. "Don't worry about him. We're all looking out for each other." Cloud said. Grass nodded in agreement. _I just hope we can get through the journey without any injuries._ At that moment, Cloud's paw started to sting even more. He was in pain, but he didn't let it show.

The sun was setting when the group stopped for the night. They had found a little area surrounded by trees and decided to sleep there for the night. "Who wants to keep watch first?" Leaf asked. "I'll do it. I haven't done it yet." Feather suggested. "Are you sure? I'm fine with taking the first shift." Cloud meowed.

Feather puffed her fur up. "Don't worry, Cloud. I can do it." Feather replied. "Okay then. How about we hunt?" Cloud suggested. "Grass and I might go look for a pond or something." Quail told him. "Quail, there's no river or pond or anything." Grass reminded him gently.

"We can still look!"

"Quail, we're going to have to hunt on land."

"I don't really know how to."

"Neither do I, but since we're with the group now, we have to start adjusting."

Grass got up and walked off. Quail followed her. "How about we go together? Gorse and Feather can stay." Leaf meowed to Cloud. "Sure." Cloud purred.

Cloud climbed up a tree after a squirrel. Leaf stood close by, silently laughing. Cloud caught up to the little squirrel and climbed back down with the squirrel in his mouth.

"I think you're the only cat crazy enough to do that." Leaf laughed. "What? Climb a tree?" Cloud smiled. Leaf nodded, still smiling. "I could teach you." Cloud offered.

"I don't know about that." Leaf joked. "I don't think I'm part squirrel like you." "Very funny. Come on, I'll show you." Leaf followed Cloud as he demonstrated how to climb.

"It's like running, but just upwards." Cloud told her when he reached the top. "Use your claws to help you." Leaf started to climb, but slid back down the tree. "Oof!" She said. Cloud couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, it's not that easy!" Leaf called up. "No but it is funny." Cloud replied, still laughing.

Leaf tried climbing again. She hadn't gotten far when she slid down the tree again. "Come on, you can do better than that!" Cloud encouraged. Leaf started climbing again but slid back down.

"Now I get why your name is Leaf! You keep falling down!" Cloud laughed. "And why were you named Cloud? Is it because you've got your head in the clouds?" Leaf joked. Leaf had made it halfway when she started to slip again.

"You can do it, Leaf!" Cloud cheered. Leaf regained her focus and started climbing again. She was almost at the top. "Hey, I'm actually doing it!" Leaf gasped. "Of course you are." Cloud replied with a smile.

Leaf finally reached the top. "Woah." She said, looking around. "I get why you like it up here. You can see everything from here." Cloud nodded. He stared at the mountain. It was close. They were almost there. Cloud noticed Leaf was looking at his front paw.

"How badly does it hurt?"

"Huh?"

"Cloud I'm not stupid. I could totally see before that it hurt."

"Leaf, it's nothing. I promise."

"That's why you were at the back of the group today, wasn't it?"

"What? No..."

"Cloud, come on. I'm your friend! You should tell me when you're hurt!"

"Look, I'm sorry, Leaf. I didn't want anyone to know." Cloud apologized. "How did you even know I was hurt?" "I've got a good pair of eyes." Leaf smiled. She stared down at Cloud's paw. "What have you been doing to treat it?" Leaf asked. Cloud shrugged. He hadn't put anything on it in a few days. All he had been doing was giving it a few licks when nobody was looking.

"I've been cleaning it." Cloud told her. Leaf bent down to examine it. Cloud picked it up a little so she could get a better look at it. "Well, it's clean, but a couple of licks won't fix it. Gimme a sec." Leaf said.

She was ready to climb down, but hesitated. "Need help?" Cloud purred. Leaf nodded quickly. Cloud taught her how to climb down. She did much better getting down than climbing up.

Cloud watched Leaf run off. A couple minutes later, she was carrying moss in her mouth. She started climbing up the tree again. "Do you want help?" Cloud called. "You stay off of that paw! I can do this!" Leaf replied.

After a while, Leaf finally reached the top. She dropped the moss in front of Cloud. "Alright, put your paw on this piece." Leaf pushed one piece of moss towards him. Cloud nodded and did what she said. Leaf grabbed another piece of moss and placed it on top of his paw. She gently pushed down on it. Cloud flinched at the pain at first, but then settled down.

"That feels way better." Cloud admitted. Leaf smiled. "I was hoping that'd help. How about we do this every night until it's better?" Leaf suggested. Cloud was a little unsure. He didn't want the others thinking he couldn't take care of himself.

"Don't worry, we can do it in private." Leaf said, as if she was reading his mind. "How do you know I was thinking that?" Cloud laughed. "You're pretty easy to figure out, Cloud." Leaf joked.

At that moment, Cloud felt like he was choking. He struggled for air and started to wobble. "Cloud!" Leaf shrieked. Cloud coughed and tried to get air in his lungs. Leaf helped him lie down. Cloud's body jerked as he breathed heavily. As he began to lose conciseness, he could faintly hear Leaf calling his name. Cloud could no longer hear his friend's calls as his eyes shut.

"Greetings, Cloud." Cloud opened his eyes to see Shadowfur standing in front of him. Leaf was nowhere to be seen.

"Shadowfur? What's going on?" Cloud demanded. "I have a message for you, Cloud." Shadowfur explained. "What is it?" Cloud asked. "Normally I would give you a prophecy that you would have to figure out, but there's no time for you to figure it out now." Shadowfur chuckled.

"Prophecies?" Cloud repeated. Shadowfur nodded. "You're lucky. It's funny making them. Some cats take forever to figure them out." Shadowfur laughed. "So what's your message? It seems pretty urgent to me." Cloud said. Shadowfur nodded.

"The leader of the clan is not the only important role. Of course, there is the deputy of the clan. Deputy is the second in command and becomes the next leader when the leader runs out of lives." Shadowfur began.

"Wait, wait, wait. Lives? Did I hear you right?" Cloud asked. "Indeed. The leader receives nine lives from StarClan." Shadowfur replied. "Nine lives. Woah." Cloud said to himself. _How does that even work? Then again, I am talking to my dead ancestor._

"Moving on, I'm not here to talk about deputies."

"Wait, then why'd you bring it up?"

"You're new. I thought that I'd might as well tell you now."

"Well, I guess that makes sense."

"The other important role is the medicine cat." Shadowfur began again. "They don't train to become warriors like deputies and leaders. Medicine cats train by studying herbs and learning to interpret dreams from StarClan."

"So I need to get a medicine cat?" Cloud asked. "Very good!" Shadowfur replied. "And you have to do it soon. Otherwise two of your cats won't make it to see the other clans." Cloud's eyes widened. Two of his cats could die?

"How long do I have? And where do I find one?" Cloud asked. "I will lead you to the perfect candidate. But I won't be able to help convince her. That's up to you." Shadowfur told him. "The faster you move, the more time you'll have."

"Right. Thank you, Shadowfur." Cloud replied. "Don't thank me yet. We haven't found your medicine cat just yet." Shadowfur meowed. Cloud nodded. Cloud recoiled in pain. His chest caused him agonizing pain. "You're not used to getting messages from StarClan. When you're asleep, there's very little pain. But when I have to call you during the day, well, it can't be done without some excruciating pain. Don't worry, you get used to it." Shadowfur explained.

 _Well that's not very helpful._ Cloud shook his pelt out and straightened up. "Alright, I'll see you back in the real world." Shadowfur said. Cloud's vision became blurry once again and started to fade into black. His chest once again experienced horrible pain.

"He's waking up!" Cloud heard Leaf shout. He slowly lifted his head as he opened his eyes. "Thank goodness!" Gorse exclaimed, padding over to him. Leaf sat right in front of Cloud. Grass and the others were close by. Grass grabbed a fish and jogged over to Cloud. "We caught this for you. Eat it when you feel ready." She said, dropping it in front of the white tom.

Cloud slowly sat up. "Thank you, Grass." "So what happened? Why did you pass out?" Quail asked, walking over with Feather close behind. "Quail, don't be rude! Give him some time to breathe." Grass scolded her little brother. Quail playfully batted her with his front paw.

Cloud winced in pain. He took a deep breath. "I received a message from StarClan." Cloud told them. "You take advice from a bunch of dead cats you never met?" Quail asked disbelieving. "Quail!" Grass hissed. "Show some respect!"

"I may not know them, but I share the same blood as them." Cloud told Quail. He didn't seem convinced. "Anyway, Shadowfur-" "The cat from your last dream, right?" Leaf asked. Cloud nodded. "What did she say?" "Well, _he_ told me we need to find this medicine cat. Or well, they aren't one yet, but it's our job to find them and invite them to be our medicine cat." Cloud went on.

He couldn't help but notice Leaf relaxed a little when she found out Shadowfur was a guy. _She cats can be so weird._ "What's a medicine cat?" Feather meowed. "They study herbs to heal the clan's wounds and sicknesses. Shadowfur said they get dreams from StarClan too." Cloud quickly explained.

"So how do we find this cat?" Gorse stepped in. "Shadowfur said he will lead us there." Cloud meowed. "But he's dead! How does that work?" Quail exclaimed. Cloud was a little frustrated with the young cat. Sure, it didn't make a lot of sense, but he could have a little more faith in his leader.

"You won't be able to see him, but I will. Just follow me and you'll be fine." Cloud said. He looked at the sun. It was just rising over the horizon. Cloud got to his feet. "We move out now."

"No way!" Leaf jumped to her feet. "You just woke up! There's no way we're moving out now." "She's right. You're in no condition for this." Gorse added. Cloud didn't want to move out either. He was tired and hurt. But if they didn't go now, someone else could die. _If I just fight through the pain, nobody will die_.

"Leaf, Gorse, I thank you for your concern. But we need to go now. Someone could get hurt badly or even worse." Cloud told them. "How much worse do your injuries have to get? You were hurt during the river incident and you fainted last night! I understand that you're looking out for everyone else, but you have to think of yourself for once in your life!" Leaf exclaimed. Her brown and white pelt was bristling and her green eyes were filled with emotion.

Cloud didn't respond. He didn't know how to respond. "We're moving out now." Cloud repeated. He grabbed the fish that Grass gave him and turned around. In front of him, he saw a cat made of shadows. _There's Shadowfur._ Shadowfur began walking. Cloud followed and the group joined him. Leaf traveled at the back of the group. _She's clearly not in the mood to talk to me._

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 **Yay! Chapter three is done! (Those corny jokes between Cloud and Leaf though XD) The next chapter will be out soon actually. Maybe tomorrow. I was busy writing it, thinking I had already posted this chapter. Whoops. This chapter's question: Do you think they'll find the medicine cat in time? Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4 - Berry Hunt

**Chapter four is here! I'll update Shade's Exile later on this week. Hope you enjoy!**

 **crystal-of-D.A.-11 - Thanks for your review! Glad you're enjoying the story. Don't worr, it'll get better for StoneClan. Hopefully.**

 **RandomWarriorThatLikesStuff - CloudXLeaf is pretty cute, not going to lie. Will it happen? Who's knows? XD**

* * *

Cloud felt as if he were going to collapse at any moment. He was exhausted. They had been walking all day and still hadn't found their new medicine cat.

Gorse noticed Cloud was over exerting himself. "Alright, let's stop here for a little bit." Gorse told the group. Cloud opened his mouth to protest, but didn't say anything. He walked over to a tree and sat down beneath it.

"Feather, do you wanna hunt with me?" Quail asked. Feather nodded vigorously and skipped away with her new friend. "Don't get lost!" Cloud called after them. He was really impressed with Feather. Other than the river accident, she was doing well on the trip, especially when she was with Quail. _They're a good team._

Gorse took a seat next to Cloud. "How are you feeling?" He asked. Cloud shrugged. "I just want to find that medicine cat." Cloud replied. "Then they can check out your injuries." Gorse said. "My injuries aren't bad, Gorse." Cloud began. _Did Leaf put him up to this?_

"You're not a good liar, Cloud." Gorse told him. "Maybe I'm not. But all I care about is finding that medicine cat. I don't want anyone else getting hurt." Cloud replied. "How do you know someone will get hurt anytime soon? Did Shadowfur tell you?" Gorse asked. "He did. Sorta." Cloud meowed. He didn't want to say that two cats could die. Cloud didn't know which two cats would be in trouble. _Saying this would just cause chaos in the group._

"Look," Gorse began. "It's just kind of crazy. You gotta admit it, hearing that your best friend takes advice from the spirits of dead cats is pretty crazy." Cloud couldn't help but smile. It did sound a little silly.

"Gorse, I know that you and some of the others probably think I've lost my mind, but this? This is the clearest my mind has ever felt." Cloud said. "I never knew my father. My mother died when I was little. I never knew where I was from or why I felt like something in my life was missing. But meeting Shadowfur made me feel complete. Like this was my destiny or something."

"I don't understand StarClan or anything, but if you trust them, I guess I can too." Gorse said. "Thank you, Gorse. It means a lot to me." Cloud said. He was happy to have Gorse with him. _Maybe when we get to the clans, I'll make him my deputy. He's clearly the best choice.I'll think about that later. There's too much going on right now._

Cloud and the group were back on the road. The break had really refreshed him. Cloud glanced behind him. Leaf was busy talking with Grass. They hadn't talked all day. It was clear to Cloud that she was avoiding him.

 _How much further, Shadowfur?_ "Not much farther, Cloud. You should reach it by sundown." Shadowfur whispered in his ear. Cloud could faintly see the outline of his starry friend. Shadowfur walked a couple of steps in front of them, leaving a trail of his starry paw prints.

"So where are we going exactly?" Quail demanded, jogging up to walk next to Cloud. "You'll see when we get there." Cloud replied. He didn't really know where they were going, but he trusted Shadowfur. How could he not?

"So is your 'StarClan' guiding us? Because I don't see anything." Quail challenged. Cloud fought back saying something rude to the young cat. He took a deep breath. "Because I'm the only one here who truly believes in them." Cloud told him. "Who put this guy in charge?" Quail muttered to Feather. Cloud could tell that she didn't agree with Quail. He knew that she trusted him as leader. Quail was a doubtful, young cat. Cloud wasn't surprised that Quail and the others didn't believe in StarClan. They had only just heard about StarClan and none of them had any connections to StarClan, unlike Cloud. He had actually met with Shadowfur and had blood ties with them. _Maybe one day they'll believe in StarClan._

"Are we there yet?" Quail complained. He was now walking in the back of the group, tail drooping. The orange Maine coon was tired from walking. So was Cloud. His paw still stung and his muscles ached. _Are we there yet, Shadowfur?_ "Just about, Cloud. Keep walking." Shadowfur meowed. "Almost." Cloud said to Quail. He heard several cats groan.

"Why don't we just stop for the night? It's going to be dark soon." Grass suggested. "I second that." Feather moaned. "I promise you guys, we're almost there. Once we find our medicine cat, we can settle down for the night. And we won't have to travel tomorrow. I promise." Cloud turned to the group and said. "I thought you wanted to get to the forest as soon as possible?" Leaf asked, puzzled. Cloud smirked. She was actually talking to him again. "Just like you said Leaf, I gotta start thinking about the group. The forest will still be there." He said.

"Hey, look!" Feather exclaimed. Cloud turned around to look. He saw a small Housefolk nest up ahead. It looked strange in the forest without any other Housefolk nests around. "Is this the place?" Gorse asked Cloud. Cloud watched as Shadowfur stopped in front of the Housefolk nest and sat down. He motioned with his tail for Cloud and the others to follow.

"Yeah, this is it." Cloud replied. He turned around to face his team. "There's most likely Housefolk inside. I don't want that many of us to go near it." He said.

"Quail, Feather, I want you to stay behind." "Great! I'm tired of walking!" Feather laughed, sitting down. "I'll stay with them. You three go on ahead." Grass offered. "Great. Leaf, Gorse, let's go investigate." Cloud meowed.

"So what's the plan?" Leaf asked. "Well, we gotta find our medicine cat. They're most likely inside, so we have to find a way inside." Cloud told her. He saw the tall fence surrounding the back side of the house. He immediately walked over to it and began to climb.

"Cloud, we're not exactly good climbers like you." Gorse called up to his friend, who had already reached the top. "Don't worry, I'll find a way to get you inside." Cloud told his friend.

He looked around the area for a way to help his friends up. There was nothing that could get them up there. If they can't go up, then they can go down. Cloud leapt down from the fence and was inside the fenced in area, separated from his friends. His paw hurt from the landing, but he shook it off.

"Cloud? What happened? Are you okay?" Leaf called from the other side. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just hang on, okay? I'm coming." Cloud replied. He walked over to the fence and began digging. It wasn't easy with his paw, but that wasn't going to stop him. "What are you doing?" Gorse yelled over to his friend. "Digging my way through." Cloud told him.

"Not a bad idea. Here, we can help from this side." Leaf meowed. Cloud could hear his friends digging from the other side. Soon enough, Cloud could see his friends on the other side. "Leaf, see if you can fit through." Cloud said. She nodded and began to crawl through. Leaf was a skinny she cat, so she easily crawled through.

Gorse, on the other hand, was a big tom. Cloud dug out some more dirt for his friend. After a while, Gorse decided to give it a shot. He tried to make himself as small as he could and began crawling through. Cloud smiled as his friend squeezed through.

"Alright, now what?" Gorse asked. "There's an open window over there." Cloud pointed with his white tail. "How are we getting there?" Leaf asked. "Follow my lead." Cloud smiled. He jumped onto a nearby chair and then onto a table. From there, he was able to leap onto the fence. It poked him in the stomach a little, but it didn't draw any blood.

"I think you guys can handle that." Cloud said. "Anything you can do, I can do better." Leaf laughed, already on the table. "Yeah, you did great climbing that fence before." Cloud joked. Leaf leapt onto the fence, but her hind legs dangled over the edge. Cloud grabbed her by the scruff to help her up. "Thanks." Leaf smiled. "But I didn't need it." Her green eyes sparkled.

"Sure, sure." Cloud meowed. Gorse had finally made it on top of the fence. "Okay, let's get moving." Cloud said. He carefully made his way towards the open window. They would have to leap onto the windowsill, but it was close enough for the others to make.

Cloud carefully jumped from the fence onto the windowsill. He looked inside the Housefolk nest. It was filled with exotic things Cloud had never seen before. Two Housefolk were sitting together, staring at a glowing box and laughing.

"Move your tail, Cloud. The ledge is only so big." Leaf said. "Okay, okay." Cloud replied. He took a step inside the Housefolk nest and stood on a cushy seat. The Housefolk were too occupied with their glowing box to notice him and his friends sneaking inside. Cloud stepped behind the seat and waited for his friends. Leaf and Gorse quietly followed him behind the long seat.

"What is that?" Leaf asked, staring at the glowing box. "Whatever it is, it's keeping those guys busy." Gorse replied. "Let's just find our medicine cat and get out." Cloud meowed to his friends. He lead his friends into a dark room. He wanted to get as far away from the Housefolk as possible.

"Should we call out for the medicine cat?" Gorse asked. "What do you want to shout? Come here cat that we don't know, we only want to recruit you for our clan?" Leaf retorted. "Shush! Don't make so much noise!" Cloud warned them. He didn't want the Housefolk to catch them in their house.

"Let's split up." Leaf suggested. "That way we cover more ground." Cloud was unsure about her idea. They were in unknown territory, was it really a good idea to separate? Then again, they needed to find the medicine cat as soon as possible.

"Alright, but don't get lost. Or hurt. Or killed. Or-" Cloud said. "Cloud, that's not helping." Leaf said. "Sorry." Cloud apologized. He watched as Gorse and Leaf went into different rooms. Cloud stayed to investigate the room he was in. "Hello? Any cats in here?" Cloud called out. _I'm glad I'm by myself right now. I sound like an idiot._

Suddenly, he heard a noise underneath him. He followed the noise to an open door. There were stairs leading down. Cloud carefully climbed down them. There was a little light dangling from the ceiling. He noticed the shadow of a cat moving. Cloud hurried down and went to investigate. Before he could take another step, he was tackled. Cloud was held down, but managed to wiggle his way out. He jumped into a nearby table and looked at his attacker.

It was a small, gray she cat with a bushy tail and white paws. "What are you doing in my house?" She hissed. "I'm just looking for someone. Are there any other cats that live here?" Cloud asked calmly. "Why should I tell you?" The house cat snapped. "Shush, Meg." Another cat appeared. "My name is Berry. Why are you here?" She had short, white fur with gray specks on her back.

"Who's there? Is he dangerous, Berry?" Cloud looked to see a ginger she cat lying on a pillow. "It's okay, Rosie. You'll be okay." Berry said soothingly.

"My friends and I were sent here. My name is Cloud." Cloud began. "Cloud? I was told about you in a dream!" Berry exclaimed. Cloud jumped down from the table. "What did the dream say?" Cloud meowed. "This strange cat was talking to me in some kind of forest and told me about my destiny." Berry said.

"Destiny? Why didn't you tell us this before?" Meg demanded. "I didn't know how you two would react. Besides, I wasn't sure what to do exactly." Berry explained to her gray friend.

"I met with Shadowfur in a dream, telling me to find you and ask you to be our medicine cat." Cloud went on. "Medicine cat?" Rosie asked. Cloud nodded. "I don't know who Shadowfur is, but a cat called Littlebird told me about you, your quest, and about being a medicine cat." Berry told him. "Littlebird?" Meg asked. "He's a StarClan cat." Berry replied.

"You're speaking gibberish, Berry." Rosie meowed. "This doesn't make any sense. What's a StarClan?" "I can explain it to you, Rosie." Cloud said. He began to tell the house cats about the clans and his mission to bring back StoneClan. He told them about StarClan and medicine cats.

"How big is your clan?" Rosie asked. "Not many of us. Just six of us right now." Cloud told her. "Are you going with him, Berry?" Rosie turned to her friend. "If it's my destiny to join the clan and be their medicine cat, I will." Berry replied. "You're leaving us?" Meg gasped.

"You could always come with us." Cloud suggested. "But how could I ever leave my owners?" Rosie exclaimed. "I've never been a house cat." Cloud began. "I've always been on my own. I don't know how you cope with being stuck inside all day. Being a wild cat means being free. Free to go where you want, eat what you want, do what you want. Sure, joining the clan means responsibility. But I know it will be worth it." Meg and Rosie remained quiet.

"I don't want to leave Berry." Rosie meowed. "So I'll tag along." "You're both leaving me? Are you nuts? You'll get killed out there!" Meg exclaimed. "Meg, you've always been a fighter. You would like being a clan cat. I'm sure of it. It's in your personality." Berry said. Meg paused to think. "You're the only friends I've ever had. I couldn't bear to live without you. So if you're leaving, I'm going with you." Meg said. "That's great news!" Rosie cheered.

"If you want to join, you'll have to ditch your collars." Cloud told them. "What?" Rosie asked. "You can't have a collar in the wild. It'll scare off all of the prey and give away your position." Cloud explained. Berry nodded. "Can you bite it off?" Berry asked. Cloud nodded and grabbed her purple collar with his teeth. He bit down hard and snapped it. The purple collar fell to the floor.

Cloud did Meg's collar next. He snapped it off and the red collar fell to the floor. Rosie hesitated, but she eventually gave in. Cloud snapped it off and the pink collar fell off of her.

"Cloud? Are you down here?" Leaf called. "Yeah! Come on down!" Cloud replied. Seconds later, Leaf and Gorse climbed down the stairs. "Woah. Who are these guys?" Gorse asked. "This is Meg, Rosie, and our new medicine cat, Berry. They're the newest members of StoneClan." Cloud introduced them.

"House cats? I knew our medicine cat would be one, but I didn't think we'd have any more." Leaf muttered. "You got a problem with that?" Meg hissed. "With your attitude, yeah." Leaf growled. "Leaf, it's okay. Just ignore her." Gorse whispered. Meg hissed at Gorse.

"Enough, Meg!" Cloud meowed. "If you're joining our clan, you have to respect your senior warriors." Meg rolled her eyes but remained quiet. Before any cat could say anything else, there was noise on the steps. Cloud and the others looked to see a Housefolk staring at them. He shouted something at them in their foreign language and ran at them with a large stick with bristled on one end.

"Run!" Cloud ordered. At once, all six cats ran in different directions. "Head for the window!" Leaf exclaimed, already running for the stairs. "Hurry up!" She called to Cloud. He stared the the Housefolk. He had cornered Rosie.

"Go! Take Meg and Berry with you! I'm going after Rosie!" He yelled. Leaf hesitated, but nodded. She lead Meg and Berry upstairs. Cloud charged at the Housefolk. Gorse also ran at the Housefolk, biting hard into his exposed feet. The Housefolk screamed in pain. He kicked Gorse, knocking him to the ground.

"Rosie, run! We can distract him! Leaf is waiting for you." Cloud yelled as he scratched the leg of the Housefolk. Rosie immediately ran towards the stairs. Gorse had already gotten up. Cloud was relieved to see he wasn't badly hurt. "Let's run while we can." Gorse was saying. The Housefolk took another swing at Cloud. Cloud tried to dodge, but was tripped up by the stick. The Housefolk was ready to smack Cloud, but Gorse was too fast. Gorse grabbed Cloud by his scruff and pulled him away from the Housefolk.

"Thanks, Gorse." Cloud meowed as they made a run for the stairs. "Don't mention it." Gorse said as they ran upstairs. "Hopefully Leaf got them outside safely." "It's Leaf. I _know_ she got them out safely." Cloud laughed.

The other Housefolk was blocking the exit. "Now what?" Gorse yelled. "Keep running and follow my lead." Cloud replied. He charged in between the long legs of the Housefolk. This one was much smaller than the one downstairs. When Gorse charged through the legs, the Housefolk fell to the ground and slipped down the stairs.

"Good job, Gorse!" Cloud meowed. "That wasn't exactly intentional, but it works for me." Gorse laughed. The two ran straight through the nest, towards the window.

Leaf was sitting there, waiting for them. "You made it!" She exclaimed. Her green eyes twinkled in the light. Cloud couldn't help but smile. He quickly climbed up the seat and jumped onto the ledge. Gorse followed and Cloud helped him onto the windowsill. "The others are on the ground already." Leaf told them.

Cloud leapt down to join them first. Leaf and Gorse followed close behind them. "Hopefully Grass and the others are doing alright." Gorse said. "Who?" Rosie asked. "There's three other members. Grass, Feather, and Quail." Gorse explained. "Let's not keep them waiting. It's already dark." Cloud meowed.

"Grass?" Gorse called out. "Feather? Quail?" Leaf yelled. "Where'd they go?" Berry asked. "We'd better find them. I don't want to think about what could of happened to them." Cloud said. "Gorse, stay close to Rosie and Meg."

"I can take care of myself!" Meg exclaimed. "The wild is much different than what you're used to. I'm not taking any chances with losing cats." Cloud told her. Meg didn't say another word. _Oh StarClan, please don't let them get hurt._

"Grass! Where are you?" Gorse yelled again. "After we find them, I'm having Berry check out your paw." Leaf whispered in Cloud's fluffy, white ear. "Leaf, it's fine." Cloud told her. "Nope. I'm glad we have Berry. She'll agree with me that your paw is injured. Badly." Leaf replied. As much as he didn't want to get it looked at, he knew she was right. It still caused him a lot of pain. _Hopefully it's not too bad._

"Okay, fine. But let's just focus on finding Grass and the others. Deal?" Cloud meowed. "It's a deal." Leaf smiled.

"Is that Grass?" Rosie asked. Cloud looked. Rosie was right. Grass' gray body was lying underneath a tree. Feather and Quail were nowhere in sight. "She's bleeding!" Gorse exclaimed, running over to her.

"Berry, can you help her?" He asked. The white she cat looked at Grass. "I'll try my best. Littlebird will help me." She said. "Littlebird?" Leaf whispered. "StarClan." Cloud replied. "I'm going to need some cobwebs. She's got a nasty cut on her shoulder." Berry told her. "I'll go find some." Gorse told her and ran off.

"Anything else?" Leaf asked. "Maybe some comfrey?" Berry told her. "I know what it looks like. I'll see what I can do." Leaf meowed. "I'll come with you. I'd feel better if I could help." Rosie said. Leaf nodded and the two went off to find the comfrey.

"What about me?" Meg asked Cloud. "Stay here. In case whatever attacked them comes back, we can protect Berry and Grass." Cloud told her. "Good. I'd love to get revenge for Grass." Meg said. "She's not dead, Meg." Berry reminded her.

"Still, no one should get away with attacking a good cat." Meg meowed.

"I'm back!" Gorse called. He was carrying an oak leaf in his mouth. On it, delicate strands of cobwebs laid. "Perfect. I can put it on after the comfrey." Berry meowed. "Thank you." Gorse dipped his head. "What do you think happened?" He whispered to Cloud. "I'm not sure. Hopefully Grass wakes up soon. We need to find Feather and Quail as soon as possible." Cloud replied.

After some time, Leaf and Rosie returned with a little bit of comfrey. "It's not much, but it will work." Berry soon got to work. She chewed the comfrey up and turned it into a poultice. "Leaf, help me out this on her wound." Berry said. Leaf nodded and picked up some of the poultice with her paw. The two slathered it on the wound. Berry let it sit for a minute or two before putting some cobwebs on.

"That should keep the poultice still and stop the bleeding." Berry informed them. "Let's get some rest. Berry, Leaf, Meg, and Rosie. Get some sleep. Gorse and I will take first shift." Cloud ordered. "No, I'll stay up. I want to be up in case Grass needs me." Berry told him. "Very well. Gorse, you can get some rest." Cloud meowed.

"So Littlebird is helping you with being a medicine cat?"

"Well, I knew some stuff already. I used to be a stray before my owners took me in."

"I guess that's why you were chosen."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I'm glad that you're here. We really needed someone like you."

"Thanks. It feels good, you know. Being back in the wild."

"I'm a little nervous about being leader."

"Don't worry, you're already doing great."

"There's no other clans here. What if they don't accept us?"

"It's not their choice. StarClan wants us there. That's all that matters."

"You're right. Thanks, Berry."

"No problem."

At that moment, Grass started to wake up. She kicked Leaf, waking her up. "What the-" Leaf muttered, clearly annoyed from being awoken. "Grass?" Cloud asked softly. "What's going on? Cloud?" Grass murmured. "I'm here. What happened to you and the others?" Cloud asked quietly. "Tank. It was Tank. He followed us here. He took them. Tank and his gang." Grass murmured, barely awake. Cloud could barely understand her.

"That's not good." Berry told Cloud. "What isn't good?" Leaf asked, fully awake now. "Tank is the leader of a group of rogues. They're not friendly at all. They force cats to work for them and imprison them and beat them if they refuse." Berry shook. "Oh no." Cloud gasped. "They have Feather and Quail!"

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 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's a bit rushed, I know. This chapter's question: Who's your favorite of the new cats? For me, it's definetely Berry. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 5 - The Dark Moon Rogues

**Sorry it's a little late and a bit short. Hopefully you guys enjoy!**

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Leaf sat next to Grass, who was finally able to sit up. She didn't look so good last night, but after she had woken up Leaf really early in the morning, the gray Maine coon was feeling better. Her shoulder was still stinging from her cut, but it was slowly healing, thanks to Berry.

"Okay, so everyone, gather 'round. We need to talk." Cloud called for his group. Leaf purred. It was funny watching Cloud being leader. She could tell that he was a little insecure about it, but she knew deep down that he would turn into a great leader. With 'StarClan' leading him, how could he fail?

Other than Berry, Cloud was the only cat in the group who believed in StarClan. Leaf was on the fence about it. It sounded crazy, but at the same time, something about it felt real. She knew that Cloud wouldn't make up something this crazy. Sure, he did love stories and legends, but he wasn't crazy enough to make this stuff up. Especially since it would be dangerous. Cloud would never intentionally put cats in danger. It just wasn't in him.

"So what's going on?" Rosie asked. Leaf couldn't help but roll her eyes. Rosie seemed nice, but Leaf could tell that she would be useless in a fight. _She's a housecat who's never had to survive for herself. I still don't get why she left her owners._ "Grass told us that Tank attacked her, Quail, and Feather. It's clear to us that he took Quail and Feather." Cloud began.

"What!?" Rosie cried.

"Who's Tank?" Meg asked.

"Fox dung!" Gorse growled.

"Alright, alright. Calm down, everyone." Cloud told them. "For anyone who doesn't know, Tank is this big, gray rogue. He's the leader of a group of rogues called the Dark Moon Rogues. They force cats to work for him, kill the ones that don't, and are trouble for anyone that's not with him." Berry stepped forward and said.

"Wouldn't they have taken Grass too?" Meg asked. "It actually makes sense to me why they'd leave her here." Leaf spoke up when she saw that Cloud and Berry hesitated. "They left her here as a warning for us. They wanted us to know that they took Quail and Feather, and that we're probably next." Leaf went on.

"Leaf is right. This was Tank's way of leaving a warning." Cloud meowed. _Of course I'm right._

"Well, we have to get Feather and Quail back!" Grass exclaimed. "We will." Gorse told her calmly, giving her a quick lick on the ear. "I'll make sure that they come back to us."

"Berry, how many cats are in the Dark Moon Rogues?" Leaf meowed. "Way more than us. They're also trained fighters. If we want to get our friends back, we're going to have to use stealth." Berry said to the group. _Mouse dung. Of course it won't be easy. Why would it ever be easy?_

"That's just what we will do." Cloud spoke next. "Meg, Rosie, and Grass, I want you three to find us some shelter somewhere. Stay hidden and out of sight. Grass is in charge. Meg, you're going to make sure they stay alive. Grass is still hurt and Rosie isn't much of a fighter." Cloud ordered. Meg nodded.

Leaf half expected Rosie to be offended by Cloud's remark. But the ex housecat sat, unfazed by the white tom. _Probably because she's happy she's away from all of the danger._

"Berry, I would normally ask you to stay back with them, but you know the most about this group. We need you to guide us there." Cloud went on. "Of course, Cloud. Don't worry about me, I can fight a little." Berry smiled. "So that leaves me, Leaf, and Gorse. We'll be sneaking into their camp to rescue our friends." Cloud ended.

"If we're lucky, we'll be able to escape without a fight. But once we do, we all have to be ready to run. They'll notice that our friends are gone and will most likely come after us." Leaf shuddered a little at the thought. She didn't like the idea of being chased by dozens of cats who knew how to fight.

"What if we head back to our old house after you rescue them? They won't be able to bother us there. Then, when they're gone, we could head towards the forest." Rosie suggested. Leaf rolled her eyes. _Of course the housecat has a mouse brained idea like that_. _Sure, let's go back to her owners, they totally won't chase us with a giant stick again. It was hard enough to get in, we'd never get everyone inside._

"Thanks for the suggestion, but that won't be best for us. Your owners don't exactly like us. They'd hate us more if we brought more cats with us." Cloud told her gently. _Must he be so nice all the time? I mean, it is Cloud and he is a really friendly guy, but he could be a little tougher._

"Alright, it's time to go. Grass, you and your group can go find shelter. Hunt if you can, just stay together and out of sight." Cloud told him. "The rest of us, follow me."

Leaf padded through the forest with Gorse at her side. Cloud and Berry were at the front of the group, figuring out which way they had to go. The sun shined high in the sky. Though they had been walking for a while, Leaf wasn't tired. She assumed it was adrenaline and determination that kept her and the others strong.

She hadn't eaten yet today, but she knew there would be a chance later. Right now, her friends were more important. She could survive the day without eating, as long as it meant her friends returned home safe.

"I hope Feather and Quail are okay. I'd hate for them to get hurt." Leaf told Gorse. Though she hadn't know him that well before the journey started, Leaf had grown fond of her muscular friend. Despite his massive size, Gorse was a real sweetheart. He cared about the whole group and helped Cloud out. Whenever he saw Cloud pushing himself too hard, Gorse would always take control of the group for him.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. They have to be. Quail and Feather are young and brave. Besides, if this is to draw us in, they wouldn't be mouse brained enough to harm them." Gorse told her. "I know, but I'm still a little anxious." Leaf admitted. _Gah, why am I opening up to people? Yeah, Gorse is great and all, but he doesn't want to know about how I feel. Nobody does._

"Leaf has a heart?" Gorse joked. "In all seriousness, I'm sure we will all be okay." _Wow, that actually, went okay. I'm surprised_.

"I don't really believe in StarClan, but I'm sure that if they're real, they won't let them get hurt." Gorse added. "Do you think you could ever believe in StarClan?" Leaf asked. Gorse shrugged. "Maybe I could. I mean, I trust Cloud with my life, so maybe one day I will." Gorse meowed. Leaf didn't reply. She felt the same way as Gorse.

The brown and white she cat sighed softly. _Why does it have to be so complicated?_

Suddenly, Cloud started hold his front paw up in the air, trying to keep pressure off of it. _Mouse dung! I forgot to ask Berry to look at his paw! I guess I'll have to do it later, after our little rescue mission._ "Let's stop for a short break." Gorse told the group. _He must have noticed Cloud's limping too. I should probably ask Berry to look at it._ Before Leaf could talk to Berry, Cloud stopped her. "Please, don't bother her right now with my paw." He sighed.

"Cloud-"

"I know, I know. It's painful and probably really injured, but right now, I have to save our friends. Every moment that passes, the more likely they get hurt. I can't let that happen."

"Cloud, if we have to fight, how are you supposed to fight with a hurt paw?"

"I don't know. I honestly have no idea."

Leaf could tell how distraught Cloud really was. _He must feel like an idiot, blaming himself for their capture and Grass' injury._

"Cloud, I know that you're upset about all of this, but you have to stay calm. Our clan needs you. Not worried you, the real you." Leaf told him. "But that's what I am. I am worried. What, am I just supposed to hide my emotions since I'm leader?" Cloud sighed. Leaf hesitated to answer. "Of course not. But you can't blame yourself for everything that goes wrong." She finally said. Cloud sat for moment before answering.

"Thanks Leaf." Cloud meowed quietly. "What did you say? Can't hear you!" Leaf teased. "Thank you, Leaf." Cloud said a little louder. "A little louder please!" Leaf purred. "Thank you, Leaf!" Cloud played along. "And you're very, very welcome." Leaf winked. _It's nice to be appreciated. Especially when you can embarrass the person too._

The sun was slowly setting in the horizon. They still hadn't found the camp. "Alright, I'm pretty sure that were almost there." Berry was telling them. _I hope Grass and her team is doing better than us._ "Okay, everyone knows our plan, right?" Cloud asked. Gorse nodded. "We're all good." Leaf told him.

Cloud and Leaf would be at the front of the group, while Berry was the lookout from the middle and Gorse watched from the back. Leaf would help Cloud grab Quail and Feather. After that, all six of them would run as fast as possible. _Even if we don't have to fight, how is Cloud going to run with his messed up paw? No, I'm sure he'll be fine. I know him, he won't give up so easily._

"Great. Berry, how much farther?" Cloud meowed. "If you climb up that tree," Berry said, pointing with her tail. "You should be able to see their camp." Cloud nodded and ran over to the tree that Berry had pointed out. He began climbing up the tall, dark pine tree. Though it was slight, Leaf knew that Cloud's climbing was slower than usual. _I'm going to hit that fur ball later._

"Berry's right. I can see it from here. It shouldn't be long now." Cloud called to them. "Keep your voice down! We don't want them to find us!" Berry warned him. "This far away?" Gorse asked, unconvinced. "They found Grass, Quail, and Feather before, and they were much farther away." Berry pointed out.

Cloud finally ran over to join the group. "Okay, Leaf and I will take the lead. Let's stay quiet and only talk if it is necessary." Cloud meowed. Leaf walked to the front of the group. She was a little nervous about the whole thing, but didn't let it show. Leaf was used to keeping her feelings inside. It's easier to stay closed up than opening up.

The sunset was full of beautiful and vibrant colors. It lit up most of the sky. _It's so peaceful._ The rest of the sky was dark as the stars slowly appeared. Leaf took a deep breath. They had just arrived outside of the camp of the Dark Moon Rogues.

 _If Berry is right about how many cats are in the Dark Moon Rogues, were likely to get spotted._ Leaf looked up to the sky. _StarClan, if you're real, don't let us die. Help protect us from these rogues. I feel like an idiot for praying to some cats that I don't really believe in._

All of a sudden, Leaf could hear cats approaching. "I hear rogues coming!" She whispered to Cloud. "Follow me!" Cloud murmured to his team. Cloud moved quickly behind a bush.

"There's a river over there! If we hide in there, it will mask our scent!" Leaf whispered. "Good idea." Cloud said. Leaf stepped quietly yet swiftly. She was careful not to step on a twig or knock over a rock.

Luckily for the group, the river was well hidden behind some bushes and trees. Gorse was the first one to step into the river. The others soon followed after him. Leaf and the others stayed as still as they could.

They waited several minutes before they heard the patrol approaching. _Please don't let them find us. Please don't let them find us. Please don't let them find us._ The footsteps kept getting louder and louder.

"Would it be alright if I get a drink from that river over there?" Leaf could hear a cat saying. _Fox dung!_ "Red, we don't have time for this. Get a drink later." Another cat groaned. _Thank StarClan! Wait, did I really just say that? Whatever, we're still alive!_ "Fine. But I'm going to complain for the rest of the patrol!" Red vowed. "You complain every single time we go on patrol together." A third cat sighed.

Finally, the voices and footsteps of the rogues grew quiet. Leaf looked expectingly at Cloud. Slowly, the white tom stepped out of the river. Leaf, Berry, and Gorse did the same as their leader.

"Alright, we have to move now. Another patrol could come through or that one could come back." Cloud meowed. Leaf and Cloud took the lead again, with Berry and Gorse close behind them. The group stalked quietly through the tall grass. They slowly approached a wall of brambles.

Leaf stared inside of the camp. _There's so many cats!_ The camp was full of strange junk and cats. Cats sat on the round legs of rumblers. Where was the rest of the rumbler? There were weird containers holding some sort of glowing light, empty cans that were rusting, and scraps of animal bones scattered around the camp. Towards the back of the camp, a large, gray tom sat on the front of a rumbler that was missing it's legs. _How did they do that? Did they seriously kill a rumbler and detach its legs? What merciless, fox hearted fleabags!_

"Is the cat on that dead rumbler Tank?" Cloud whispered to Berry. The white she cat nodded. Her blue eyes were filled with fear. _She's the only here who truly knows what these guys are capable of. The rest of us are walking in blind._

Suddenly, there was a shout from camp. "You damn she cats! Beat it already you worthless worm!" A brown tabby shouted at a gray she cat. The she cat was knocked to the ground and landed on her back.

"What are they doing?" Leaf asked, her voice wavering. "Very few she cats are accepted here. Most are prisoners. Though I'm pretty sure she's a member. You can tell by the scar on her shoulder. Each member has to have that scar." Berry informed them.

"Why is that tabby yelling at her? Surely he should treat his fellow warriors with respect?' Gorse meowed. Berry shook her head. "Like I said, she cats don't get treated well here. If she fights back, it won't go well for her." Berry told him.

Leaf noticed the fur on Cloud's neck bristling. Leaf knew how he felt. It was awful to watch a she cat being yelled at without being able to help her.

"I don't even know why she's in our group!"

"Tank should have let us kill her when we had the chance."

"She cats are useless!"

"All they're good for is having kits. If they couldn't, they'd have no purpose in life."

Leaf sunk her claws into the ground. It infuriated her that these rogues had no respect for she cats. _I wish I could teach them a lesson_.

"You brutes! You're all so mouse brained! If it weren't for she cats, none of you would exist! Show some respect, maggots!" The gray she cat snapped. _Uh oh. If Berry is right, she's in huge trouble._ And the she cat was.

The crowd of toms made way for their massive leader. Tank slowly stalked over to the she cat. "It is clear to me that I made a mistake. I should never had let you join. Clearly, you're not fit for us." Tank began. A smaller tom padded next to Tank. This tom had short, white fur and bright green eyes. "That's Tank's second in command. His name is Ghost." Berry told them.

"What shall I do with her? Throw her in the prison with the others, or run her out of camp?" Ghost said, coldly.

"Why don't we have a vote?" Tank said, clearly trying to rally his cats. All of the toms cheered and shouted. The she cat shrunk into the ground. "If you think we should lock her up, with a servitude of work, stand on my right. But if you prefer her to be chased out and have the chance to kill her, stand on my left." Tank said with a big smile on his face. _His fangs are huge!_

Immediately, the cats began to move around. It looked close, but not close enough. "Well! It appears we have a winner!" Tank shouted. "Misty, my dear," Tank ran his tail down her flank. "It appears the toms have spoken. Ghost will escort her to her permanent home. But first, let's make this interesting."

Leaf feared for what would happen to Misty. "How about we have a fight?" Tank told his rogues. The toms shouted and cheered when they heard their leader's idea. "How about Misty and I have a fight?" Tank went on.

"Come on, while they're distracted." Cloud whispered. Leaf hesitated, but eventually followed him. _Poor Misty. I wish we could help her._ Leaf could hear that the fight was starting. _I hope Tank doesn't kill her_.

Finally, the small group of cats had found Tank's prison. Two guards sat at the entrance. They hadn't noticed the four cats behind the prison. Inside, several cats, mostly she cats, were lying down, barely moving. _They look like they've been in so many battles!_

She looked around for Quail and Feather. As she searched, she heard a faint scream from Misty. _How could any cat be so heartless?_

"I see them!" Gorse whispered. Leaf saw in the corner two cats, one silver furred and the other ginger furred, lying close together, clearly terrified for their lives. "Perhaps we could save all of these cats?" Berry suggested. Cloud hesitated to answer. Leaf already knew his answer. Of course he wanted to help them, but right now, they weren't strong enough to escape with all of these cats. He probably doesn't want to say no. Cloud would take is as if he had condemned these poor she cats.

"Let's focus on Quail and Feather first." Leaf answered for him. Cloud blinked his gratitude at her. Leaf winked playfully at him. "Berry, Gorse, stay here. Leaf and I will get them." Cloud said. "No, we're coming too." Gorse said firmly.

"Fine, lets just hurry." Cloud said. He pushed his way through the brambles as quietly as he could. All of the cats immediately turned their heads to look at him. They began murmuring as the rest of his group entered.

Quail and Feather noticed their friends and immediately ran over to them. Leaf noticed that Feather was limping. Her back leg had a deep cut. "You found us!" Feather exclaimed. "Shh!" Cloud snapped. "Sorry." Feather murmured.

Suddenly, a she cat grabbed onto Leaf's tail. "Help us, please." The black she cat pleaded, her green eyes filled with sadness and pain. "Cloud," Leaf began. "We'll try." Cloud told her, as if he had read her mind.

Before any cat could move, there was a shout from outside the prison. "Hey! What's going on? Who are you?" One of the guards shouted. Leaf's heart froze. All of the toms outside turned to look. Tank, who had pinned Misty down, even turned to see what was happening. _Fox dung! We're trapped!_

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 **Well, what did you think? What do you think will happen to Misty and the future StoneClan? I'd love to hear what you guys think! The next chapter is partially written already, so it should be out on time! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :D**


	7. Chapter 6 - Trapped!

"Stop them!" Tank yelled furiously. The toms immediately charged at the prison while others went around to block their exit route. Cloud looked around frantically. They were trapped!

Rogues entered the prison. They grabbed Cloud and his friends. They were all thrown outside as the other prisoners gasped in horror. As Cloud got to his feet, he scratched a nearby rogue's nose. A ginger rogue bit into Cloud's shoulder as another set of fangs sunk his fangs into Cloud's back leg. The white tom was overpowered and fell to the ground, pinned down by the two rogues. More ran over to make sure he was down for good.

Cloud looked for his friends. Gorse was being double teamed by three tabbies. Leaf was held down on the ground by a gray rogue. He smirked and laughed at her as she struggled from underneath him. Berry had been encircled by several toms. They jeered and mocked the frightened medicine cat. Feather had been picked up by her tail and thrown around by a massive tom. Quail had been knocked to the ground by two rogues. They hadn't stood a chance against these rogues.

Cloud noticed that Misty was gone. She must have escaped while all of the rogues were busy with us. Suddenly, Tank stepped in front of Cloud. His massive feet made a lot of noise whenever he stepped.

"So, who's your leader?" Tank laughed. "I am." Cloud tried to say, but one of the rogues had put pressure on his lungs. "So you're their little leader? Pathetic!" Tank yawned, making his rogues laugh.

"So you were trying to save your little friends, hm?" He taunted, looking at Feather and Quail. Cloud struggled underneath the rogues' weight. "What do you want, Tank?" Cloud demanded weakly. Tank crouched in front of Cloud to stare him in the eyes. "Isn't it obvious? I control the cats who aren't fortunate enough to be in our group! That would be you!" Tank smiled grimly.

"Well, welcome to our little camp!" Tank stood up. He made his way over to Berry, who was still encircled by the rogues. "Pfft, she'll be useless. You can join the other she cats."

He made his way over to Gorse. "Perhaps we could use you. With training, you'd make a great member." Tank offered. "I'd never join you." Gorse spat. "How cliche. What a pity."

Tank walked over to Leaf. "Not bad. Sadly, we don't like she cats here. You can join your friend in prison. The same goes for your little friends." Tank said.

"Sir, it appears that during the commotion Misty escaped." Ghost told his leader. Tank grunted. He didn't look incredibly pleased. _He's probably annoyed that his main event ran out on him._

"Shall I send cats to go after her?" Ghost demanded. "This is a she cat were talking about, Ghost. She'll be dead soon enough." Tank grumbled. Cloud couldn't take it any longer. How could they have no respect for she cats? He fought back against the rogues that pinned him down and fought free.

But before he could do much more, more rogues tackled him. Tank and Ghost stared down at Cloud. Ghost turned to his leader and whispered something in his ear. A large grin slowly formed on Tank's face. _Oh no. That can't be good._

"It appears that our little white friend here is ready for a fight." Tank began. "Who would like to take on the challenger?" As the rogues started to shout, a large, dark ginger tabby walked over.

"It appears we have our fighter. Our challenger, Cloud, will fight the undefeated champion, Magnus!" Tank announced.

The two rogues holding Cloud down pushed him and lead him to the center of the camp. The center of the camp was a large, circular ditch. A white tom knocked Cloud down and he rolled into the ditch, landing with a thud.

The rogues laughed while Cloud's friends watched in fear for their leader. Cloud got to his feet weakly, his heart pounding. Magnus walked into the arena ditch slowly, glaring at his opponent.

"Be careful, Cloud!" Feather called. The rogue that was holding her beat her over the head, making the little tabby dizzy. Cloud barred his teeth and unsheathed his claws.

"Gorse, he's going to die!" Leaf whispered. "We have to believe in Cloud, Leaf." Gorse told her. Despite his words, it was clear that Gorse was filled with fear and doubt.

"You should never have come here. Your death will mean nothing to anyone." Magnus taunted him. "I wouldn't be too sure of that." Cloud replied. "Let the match begin!" Tank yelled.

Cloud gulped. Cloud went on the offensive first and slashed at Magnus' neck. Magnus bit into Cloud's shoulder, making Cloud grunt. Cloud scratched Magnus' throat and stepped back. He stumbled a little due to his injured paw, which Magnus noticed.

Magnus knocked Cloud down and bit into Cloud's injured paw, making him writhe in pain. He heard Leaf and Berry gasp in horror, the only two who knew about his injured foot. Magnus sunk his claws into Cloud's foot. Cloud bit into Magnus' neck, hoping to get the tom to back off.

Luckily, his plan worked and Magnus stepped back. Cloud stood up, but stumbled. His foot was making it extremely hard to walk, let alone fight. "Go, Cloud!" Leaf exclaimed before a rogue clawed her cheek. Cloud took a deep breath. He turned his head and before he could react Magnus grabbed him by the throat.

He bit into Cloud's throat before throwing him against the wall of the ditch. Cloud groaned as his back hit the side of the ditch. He shook his bloody pelt out and hissed at Magnus.

The white tom lunged at Magnus and raked his claws over his face. Magnus recoiled, yelling out in frustration and pain. His dark ginger face was now covered in scarlet blood. It was clear that Cloud's scratch would scar the tom's face for the rest of his life. Magnus lashed his tail and scratched Cloud's cheek.

Cloud tripped a little over his foot but leapt towards Magnus. The white tom landed on Magnus' back and bit into his shoulder. Magnus rolled onto his back, crushing Cloud in the process. He struggled underneath the large tom's weight. Cloud could faintly hear the laughs and cheers of the rogues. The white tom could feel his energy slowly draining from him. He glanced over and looked at the worried expressions on his friends' faces. _I can't die after all of this_. He thought.

Cloud bit into Magnus' neck and dug his claws into the tom's side. Magnus broke free and Cloud gasped for air. Magnus head butted the white tom, making Cloud dizzy. He blinked quickly and snapped out of the dizziness. Cloud stood up and snapped at his opponent. He slashed Magnus's large nose and scarlet blood flew onto the ground.

"I'll make you pay for that!" Magnus snarled, pinning Cloud down. He sunk his giant claws into Cloud's shoulders, making Cloud hiss. "Any last words?" Magnus taunted. Cloud bit into Magnus' nose. "I'm not dying just yet!" Cloud spat, even though he was unsure at this point.

He glanced at his pelt. His once-white fur was now stained in dark red blood, some his and some Magnus'. Magnus sank his claws deeper.

"I'm not sure about that." Magnus smirked. Cloud flinched as Magnus' hind leg stepped on his injured paw. "Give it up already. You've lost." Magnus said. Cloud breathed heavily. He wanted so badly to get up and claw his pelt off, but he knew his body couldn't. Cloud's eyes shut as he believed his death was coming.

Seconds later, he heard shouts and the weight lifted off of him. Cloud quickly opened his eyes to see that new cats had arrived on the scene. A gray tom had thrown Magnus off of him.

"You're going to be alright. We're here to help you escape." The tom told Cloud as he helped him up. "Queenie, help this guy get out of here!" A black she cat nodded and ran over to them. "Come on, we don't have a lot of time." Queenie said to Cloud.

"Who are you cats?" Cloud asked as Queenie helped him walk. "There's time for that later. Right now, you and your friends need to go." Queenie told him. Cloud looked at the she cat but didn't argue.

When Queenie helped him out of the ditch, a rogue tom lunged at Queenie. "Go, get out of here!" She yelled to Cloud as she engaged the tom in battle. Queenie led the tom away from Cloud to give him room to escape.

Cloud looked around for his friends. He spotted Leaf and Gorse fighting alongside some cats. Berry was being lead out of camp by an orange and white tom. Feather and Quail were taking on a brown tabby together. Cloud limped over to help the two fight, but was tackled in the process.

Cloud turned to see Tank and he growled. "Magnus may not have been able to finish you off, but I will." Tank snapped as he slashed Cloud's muzzle. Before Cloud could retaliate, Quail jumped onto Tank's back. "Don't mess with StoneClan, fleabag!" Quail hissed as he scratched Tank's back.

Tank grabbed Quail by the throat and threw him on the ground. The Maine coon landed next to Cloud. "Where's Feather?" Cloud asked as he helped his friend up. "Don't worry, she's helping Leaf and Gorse over there." Quail told him. "Let's deal with this piece of dung first." Cloud nodded and jumped at Tank. Quail went for Tank's leg and scratched it.

Tank ripped Cloud off of him and clawed at Quail's shoulder. He grabbed the little cat and threw him away. Cloud tried to distract Tank, but was knocked down. This time, Cloud could barely move. He was exhausted from his fight with Magnus. _Come on, you have to get up!_ He thought.

"Pathetic." Tank said, shaking his head. "And I thought you could be useful to our cause." Cloud stared back at Tank, out of breath. To Cloud, it felt as if the whole world was slowly disappearing into darkness. Suddenly, Quail charged at Tank and slashed the large tom's cheek, drawing blood. Tank hissed at him.

The last thing Cloud could remember was Tank slashing his claws at Quail's eyes as the little cat yelled in pain. "Quail," Cloud said quietly, barely a whisper. The Maine coon's body hit the floor as Cloud blacked out.

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I hope you enjoyed! I'm sorry it was short, but I felt it was a good place to end. This chapter's question: What do you think will happen next time? Is Quail dead? What will happen to StoneClan next?


	8. Chapter 7 - Rebels Incoming

**I haven't uploaded in forever! I've been super busy, but I've finally finished chapter seven! Hope you enjoy!**

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Cloud slowly opened his eyes. He groaned when he tried to move his sore body. "No, no, no! Stay still, Cloud!" A voice told him. Cloud looked over to see a pale ginger she cat sitting nearby. His heart started to race when he couldn't figure out where he was. "Where am I?" Cloud rasped.

"Don't worry. You're safe in our camp." The she cat meowed, stepping closer. "My name's Juniper, by the way." "Who are you cats?" Cloud asked, swallowing.

"Well, we don't exactly have a name or anything. But the Rogues just call us rebels, so I guess that's what we are." Juniper told him. "Rebels?" Cloud asked. Juniper nodded. "Yup, that's what we are. As you know, the Rogues are a bunch of stuck up fleabags. They cause so much trouble for all of the cats outside of their stupid gang." She said. "The Rogues attacked cats and forced some to work for them. That's how we came to be. We're all trying to stop them from causing any more trouble for cats."

Cloud looked at her. He remembered what Grass had told him. She had mentioned that Tank was forcing her and Quail to fish for the Rogues, but he never thought about other cats that were forced into it. Then he remembered Quail.

"Quail! What happened to Quail? Where is he?" Cloud demanded, scrambled to his feet before lying back down in pain. "Please, you have to stay still!" Juniper told him. "Where's Quail? And the rest of my friends? Did you find Grass and the others?" Cloud asked. "Calm down, Cloud." Juniper told him. "Oh, I see he's up."

Cloud turned and saw the gray tom from the battle. "I'll tell him, Juniper." He said. Juniper nodded. "Thanks." She said. The gray tom sat down next to Juniper. "The name's Dew. Your friends told us your name was Cloud, right?" The gray tom said. "Yeah, now tell me about them." Cloud told him.

"Leaf, Gorse, and Berry are all here. Their injuries weren't too bad. They told us about the rest of your group, and we already sent some cats to go find them before Tank and his cats do." Dew said. "What about Quail? And you didn't say anything about Feather. Where is she? Is she alright?" Cloud asked quickly.

"I was getting to them. Feather," Dew meowed. "Feather didn't make it back here with us. She got grabbed at the last second. Tank has her."

"What?" Cloud gasped. "How could you leave her behind? She's just a child!" "We can't jeopardize the lives of multiple cats for one. As a leader, I expected you to understand this. Besides, they wouldn't dare kill her. Tank will use her as bait for us." Dew told him. "How do you know that?" Cloud demanded angrily.

"You saw their prison! All of those cats in there are our cats! Our friends, siblings, mates, and children! We know damn well what those rogues will do, so you might want to listen to me." Dew said furiously, his fur bristling.

"Tell me about Quail." Cloud sighed. "He's over there." Juniper pointed to the Maine coon with her tail. Quail laid in the back of the den, slowly breathing. Several cats hovered over him, trying to treat his wounds. "How is he?" Cloud asked quietly. "Not good." Juniper admitted.

"He should pull through, but,"

"But what?"

"Well, if he does make it, he won't ever see again."

"Oh no,"

"Tank got his eyes pretty badly. He's lucky to be alive right now."

Cloud looked down at his paws. _StarClan, why is this happening so fast?_ "I'm sorry." Juniper told him, putting her tail on his shoulder. "You should get some rest. Our leader wants to talk to you when you're feeling better." Dew told him.

Cloud didn't look up. He laid his head on his paws and shut his eyes. He heard Dew meow goodbye to Juniper and walk out of the den. Cloud opened his eyes and looked outside the den. He could see many cats sitting outside. He could hear a couple of she cats gossiping and some kits playing some games. Cloud spotted a black and white tom holding a rose in his mouth before giving it to a light brown she cat.

 _Is this what our clan will be like one day? Living happily and not worrying about the threat of a rogue attack?_ Cloud searched the camp for any sight of his friends. Then he spotted Leaf on the other side of camp, talking to a couple of toms. "At least she's safe." Cloud grumbled before falling asleep.

A day or two later, Cloud felt much better. Juniper walked into the den. "Juniper, can I go talk to your leader now? I'm feeling fine now." Cloud asked. "Well, as long as you take it easy, I'll allow it. Come on, I'll show you the way." Juniper helped him up and walked alongside him.

"You really did take a beating at the fight." She meowed. "Yeah, it wasn't exactly fun for me." Cloud told her. "How did you rebels know we were in trouble?" Juniper let out a purr. "What?" Cloud asked. "We didn't actually know you were in danger. We had been planning an attack for weeks, and when we finally did, we found you all in danger." Juniper explained.

Cloud smiled a little. _I guess StarClan really is watching us._ He thought. Seconds later, two cats, both around Feather's age, skipped towards Cloud. "Hi, Cloud! Our brother told us all about you!" The she cat exclaimed. "What was your fight with Magnus like? Did you think you were going to die?" The little tom asked excitedly.

"Squirrel, Jackdaw, leave him alone. He's off to meet Blizzard and he doesn't need the two of you pestering him." Juniper told them. "Aww." Squirrel moaned. "Fine, we'll go bother Gorse instead. He's the most fun out of you newbies anyway." Jackdaw said, sticking his tongue out at Juniper playfully. The two ran off towards a den. "Dew has his paws filled with those two." Juniper sighed. "I'm glad I don't have younger siblings." Cloud nodded.

He was anxious to meet Blizzard. Juniper led Cloud into a small tunnel in the ground. Inside were four cats. Cloud recognized Dew immediately. He sat next to a large white tom with gray specks. _That's probably Blizzard._ Cloud thought.

There was also a black and white she cat and a dark ginger tom. "Ah, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Cloud. I am Blizzard, the leader of this rebellion." The white tom dipped his head. "These are my most trusted companions, Dew, Wren, and Copper."

"Well, uh, thank you for rescuing my friends and I from the rogues." Cloud said, sitting down. "Of course. We're very sorry about your other friend." Wren meowed, shaking her pelt out. "That's what I want to talk about. When are we rescuing Feather?" Cloud asked.

"Well," Copper said, looking at Blizzard. "We must rest after our last attack. As soon as we are able, we will make an attack to rescue more captives." Cloud unsheathed his claws, sinking them into the soft dirt. "We can't just wait around! Those prisoners are suffering! How can you just sit here and let them wait?" He exclaimed.

"We're not prepared. We're still recovering from our last fight." Blizzard said, growing angry. "We already discussed this, Cloud! As much as we want to rescue them, we can't. Not yet." Dew growled. "Calm down, Dew." Wren hissed. "I agree with Cloud. Most cats are almost fully recovered. We should be coming up with a plan of attack in the meantime."

"Enough!" Blizzard snapped. "We will come up with a plan of attack, but we will not attack until we are all ready. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Blizzard."

"Fine."

"Yes, sir."

Blizzard looked at Cloud, his eyes burning with frustration. "Cloud, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Blizzard." Cloud said, trying to calm down.

"Good, our meeting is dismissed. We will meet again tonight to discuss more about our next attack." Blizzard meowed. The cats slowly started to leave. Dew walked up to Cloud, who was still sitting down. "You still don't get it, do you?" Dew meowed.

"I just think it's foolish to wait around. You're wasting precious time." Cloud told him. "We don't care what you think. We saved you, show some respect to us. At least to Blizzard." Dew replied. "Because without us, you'll never rescue Feather."

Cloud took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll be a little more patient." Cloud hissed. He got up and walked out of the tunnel. Juniper was waiting for him outside. She smiled at him. "I'll show you where you can sleep from now on. Since you don't need to be in the medical bay, we'll need you out in case anyone else gets hurt." She told him.

Cloud nodded. Juniper led him into a different tunnel. "You guys really love tunneling." Cloud remarked, looking around the room. Juniper shrugged. "Well, it's a great way to save space." She said. She led him to a nest in the back corner of the room. It was made of moss and bird feathers, just like all of the other nests in the room.

"Thanks." He said. Juniper nodded. "You're welcome. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask someone here. Most of us are pretty friendly." Juniper purred. "I've got to get back to the med bay. See you later, Cloud." Juniper said. Cloud watched the pale ginger she cat walk out of the room.

Cloud sat in his nest. _It's pretty comfy._ He thought. Cloud stood up and walked out of the tunnel. He wanted to explore the camp.

"Oh hey. You're that new guy, right?" Cloud turned to see three cats sitting close by. "The name's Stitch. This is Tia and Plum." A dark brown tabby said. Cloud walked over to them and sat down. "Yeah, I'm Cloud." He said. "Wicked. You'll like it here." Stitch smiled.

"Well, I'm not staying forever. My friends and I are only staying until we rescue our friend." Cloud told them. Plum narrowed her eyes. "Well, you'll clearly be here a while. It feels like we rescue no one." She told him. "Oh trust me, I know." Cloud sighed.

He glanced over at Tia. She was a fluffy gray cat with a housecat collar on her neck. Her belly was also swelled, probably carrying kits. "Don't take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here? You've got housefolk." Cloud meowed.

"Those damn rogues make it hard for any cat to go anywhere. Tia here went exploring one day when she ran into one of 'em. Ever since then she hasn't been able to go back." Stitch told him. Tia nodded. "Actually, I'm thinking of staying out here." She said. "I've gotten used to living out here. Besides, I don't want to raise my kits alone."

"I can't blame you. I mean, have you seen Dew's siblings. They've always been a handful." Plum purred. "What about you, Cloud? Do you have a family?" Stitch asked. Cloud shook his head. "Nope. I mean, not now at least." He told them. _Am I going to have a family? Would I be a good dad? I don't really know how to be one. I guess I could always learn, right?_

"Has anyone showed you around camp, Cloud?" Plum asked. "Not yet. I was gonna go explore." Cloud admitted. "Come on, I'll take you." Plum purred. She stood up and gave her dark gray pelt a couple of swift licks. "Come on, slowpoke." She teased. Cloud stood up and followed her around camp.

"You know about our medical bay. You've already been in our senior den. We've got a junior den over there and a kit den next to it." Plum said. "Our younger cats are called juniors while our older cats are seniors. You're obviously a senior."

Plum led him to a tree hollow. Inside were several different kinds of prey. "This is the Prey Hollow. If you're hungry, grab something." Plum told him. "I'm good for now." Cloud told her. "Down that tunnel is where our leaders meet to discuss stuff." Plum went on. "I'm assuming you've already been there." Cloud nodded.

"Alright, that's basically our camp. I can tell you about our roles here, if you want." Plum offered. "Sure, go ahead." Cloud said. "As a senior, we have to go hunting everyday. We go in groups, that way we'll be okay in case of an ambush. We also go on scouting patrols, which are my personal favorite." Plum began. "Scouting patrols?" Cloud asked. Plum nodded. "We basically spy on the rogues, and look for weaknesses."

Suddenly, Cloud heard a shout from the entrance of camp. "We found them!" A ginger she cat shouted. Cloud looked over, trying to figure out who or what they found. He tried to peer over the crowd that had formed around the patrol.

Cloud let out a sigh of relief when he saw the familiar pelts of Grass, Meg, and Rosie. He pushed his way through the crowd of cats to greet them. "Grass!" He exclaimed. "I'm happy you're all okay." Grass smiled at him as she leaned against Rosie. "I can say the same to you." She laughed weakly.

A broad shouldered tom with a black and white pelt stepped between the two. "You can talk later. They need to rest up and get stronger." He said, glaring at Cloud. "Of course." Cloud replied, narrowing his eyes at the tom. He watched as the tom led the three she cats away towards the medical bay.

"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of his nest." Cloud muttered. Plum purred. "Don't mind him. Midnight is a good cat, he just doesn't trust cats he doesn't know well." She said. Cloud scoffed. Plum nudged him as the other cats dispersed. "I'm willing to bet you'd like to see your other friends." She said. "Come on, I think I know where Gorse is." Cloud nodded and followed her.

His mode improved now that he knew he could see his closest friend. Gorse was sitting with a couple of she cats and toms. Cloud smiled when he saw his friend was sitting close to a beautiful she cat with bright green eyes and a golden tabby pelt. "He's gotten used to life over the past few days. He's quite popular here too." Plum laughed, making Cloud smile.

Not wanting to interrupt the talking cats, Cloud waited for Gorse to notice them. Seconds later, Gorse and Cloud's eyes met. Gorse stood up and ran over to his friend. "I was wondering when you'd get your tail out of the medical bay." He laughed. "Yeah, I was thinking that too." Cloud smiled.

"I see you made a friend." Cloud said as the golden tabby walked over to them. Gorse shuffled his paws, blushing a little. "Cloud, this is Amber. Amber, this is the idiot I told you all about." Gorse introduced them. "It's great to finally get to meet you." Amber purred. Cloud nodded. "Yeah, I'm glad someone was watching out for Gorse while I was down. He gets into all sorts of trouble." He teased.

"I'll give you too some time alone to talk." Amber told them. "Thanks, Amber." Gorse smiled. Amber smiled back at him before walking back to the group. Plum followed Amber over.

"So, how did you two meet?" Cloud smirked. Gorse scoffed and hit Cloud with his tail. "She helped me get out during the fight. When we got back, I thanked her and we started talking. That's all." Gorse told him. "You sure about that? She was looking at you pretty fondly over there." Cloud meowed. "She was?" Gorse asked, his eyes widening.

Cloud started laughing, making Gorse's tail twitch angrily. "That's not even funny." Gorse said. "No, you're right. It was hysterical." Cloud said, finally settling down. Gorse rolled his eyes.

"You're a real jerk, you know that?"

"Aw come on, it's not like I lied. I was telling you the truth."

"Really?" "Of course, I wouldn't lie to you."

"Hey, there you are!" Cloud turned to see Berry running over to them. "Oh, Berry, it's great to see you again." Cloud smiled. Berry nodded. "Yeah, back at you." She said. "Berry's been learning from Juniper and the other medics." Gorse told Cloud. "I've learned a lot from them!" Berry said happily. "I'll be a fully trained medic in no time." "StoneClan will be lucky to have a medicine cat like you." Cloud smiled. Berry purred.

Cloud was proud of his friends for everything they were doing to bring StoneClan back. _They've sacrificed so much to help me and my ancestors, even when they don't believe in StarClan. Maybe one day they will._

Cloud looked around the camp. "Have either of you seen Leaf?" He asked. Berry shook her head. "I haven't been out of the medical bay much." She admitted. Cloud looked at Gorse. "I think she went hunting with some of the other cats. She should be back soon." He told him. "Good, that's good." Cloud said. He was so busy staring at the entrance that he didn't notice Gorse and Berry joking around quietly behind his back.

Not long after, a hunting patrol returned to camp. Cloud smiled when he saw Leaf at the back, carrying two mice. He walked over to her as she dropped her mice off at the Prey Hollow. She turned around and gasped. "Surprise." Cloud teased. "Why'd you have to scare me again? First you almost die and now you have to sneak up behind me?" Leaf meowed.

"Sorry." Cloud laughed. "Don't do that again." Leaf purred. "The dying part or the sneaking up behind you part?" Cloud asked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Both." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, how are you holding up?" Cloud shrugged. "I feel alright, I guess." "How's your paw?" Leaf asked. "It's better. Still hurts a little, but better." Cloud told her. "Well, that's one good thing." Leaf sighed. "With Quail and Feather, it's not easy for us." Cloud nodded.

"This was all my fault, isn't it?" He said. "Are you serious? How is it your fault?" Leaf exclaimed. "I was the one who told Grass to stay back with them. If I hadn't done that she would never have gotten hurt! Quail would still be able to see and Feather would be with us!" Cloud told her. "You could never have known that was going to happen. Stop focusing on what you did wrong and start focusing on how we can make it right." Leaf said, growing angry. Cloud sighed. _Maybe I'm not fit to lead StoneClan._

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 **Well, that was an interesting chapter! This chapter's question: Who's your favorite character? Mine is either Cloud or Leaf, I can't choose between the two of them. They're both lovable characters in my opinion.**


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